False Impressions
by Leah Aute
Summary: The 27th precinct will never be the same once Danny's arrived. The model, who just happens to be living with JJ, seems to attract trouble. From a series of model murders to attempted kidnapping and family troubles it seems things will never be calm again.
1. The Beginning

False Impressions Ch. 1

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. ;_; Other then Danny, and the future villains. If you want to give Dee to me though, I'll be MORE then happy to take him off your hands *hentai grin* Anyway, I wrote this story to do something rarely found in Fake fanfics...have a plot! Wow! Now, you may disagree with me here, but it's my experience that most of the Fake stories are really just excuses for Ryo and Dee to get mushy, then head for the nearest bedroom. Write more! n.n Mushy Fake fics are as fun as mushy CCS ones. Things like villains and plot don't matter because, really, this is Fake. Fake isn't exactly Agatha Christie style murder mystery. It's really just an excuse for fangirls to see Dee and Ryo make out, and, of course, JJ attacking Dee. I like it. ^-^ Anyway, this fic has a plot! And a villain! And, for once, a female character! (yes, I know about Diana) And, another rarity, she doesn't fall for Ryo! Shock! A major character whose main goal isn't getting into Ryo's pants...She wouldn't mind getting in Dee's though. ^_- I like Dee, and JJ, better myself, so that explains her preferences. OK, enough pointless babble, onto the story!
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are meant to entertain. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something.
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> 
>>>> I wonder if I'll ever see you again   
And if that day comes, I know we could win  
I wonder if I'll ever see you again.  
  
-  Lenny Kravitz, 'Again'
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> 
>>>> Danielle walked quickly down the New York streets, pulling her coat closer around her. It had been a long day, she'd been working the whole time so she hadn't even been able to take a quick nap to catch up. Walking around a corner she pulled her keys out of her purse, tucking it inside her coat. Just a few more blocks and she'd be home. Hopefully Jamie hadn't eaten all the Chinese food from yesterday. She sighed, she couldn't count on that, she knew how much he could eat when he'd had a hard day.
>>>> 
>>>> Courage pushed aside by the overwhelming urge to get home, eat, and sleep she ducked down an alley shortcut. Her last thought, before the club knocked her senseless, was that if Jamie _had_ eaten the Chinese, he'd have to do without coffee the next morning. After all, fair was fair, was it not? An eye for an eye?
>>>> 
>>>> Then the darkness fell, leaving that question eternally unresolved.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky ran down the back alleys quickly, cursing under his breath. He was _so _late. Ryo was going to kill him. It wasn't really his fault though, he'd been hanging out with his friends, playing some basketball, then Carol had come by and asked if he wanted to go to that new movie with her. And then after that they'd gone out to eat, and by the time they finished he was late. He leapt a tipped trashcan and gaped, nearly falling on his face.
>>>> 
>>>> The man, who was tying up the pretty girl with a length of some rather dirty-looking rope, spun, pulling a knife from his pocket. "Who're you?"
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky shook his head, backing up a bit. "Uhhh...pardon me..." He stared at the girl, eyes wide. He'd seen her somewhere, he should know who she was. Whoever she was, she was damn pretty, even with the bruise on the side of her head.
>>>> 
>>>> The man lunged suddenly, trying to drive his knife through the young street rat. Bikky rolled out of the way, scrambling to his feet. "Watch it! What do you think you're doing?"
>>>> 
>>>> The man said nothing, merely pulled out a gun. Bikky gulped, and scrambled down the alley. "HELP! Cops! Murderer! Rapist!"
>>>> 
>>>> The man cursed quietly, and ran the other way. Bikky turned, hearing his retreat, and looked the girl over. Predictably, no cops came. Like they'd be out at that hour in that neighborhood. Especially if the one assigned was from the 27th precinct...
>>>> 
>>>> He walked over to the girl and poked her. She made no sound. With a gulp, he checked for a pulse...Bingo! Strong and steady. He sighed, she must've been knocked out and dragged back into the alley. He turned his back to her, holding her arms, and pulled her forward so she was piggybacking him, arms loosely wrapped around his neck. Then he trudged away, rather slowly since he was only a little kid and she wasn't as light as she looked. Ryo would know what to do with her. And, hey, maybe he could even use this as an excuse for why he was so late.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Randy McLane, better known as Ryo, stared intently at the door from his position on the couch, wineglass in hand. Beside him, actually, half sprawled across him, his partner Dee snored loudly. The dark-haired cop had his arms around his partners waist, and his head in his lap. Ryo blushed slightly as Dee shifted, and sighed. He supposed it could be worse. Dee could be awake. He'd had enough to drink that he'd either be throwing up or trying, yet again, to get past Ryo's defenses. He absent mindedly ran his fingers through Dee's hair, causing the other man to make a happy noise and curl up even closer around him. 
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo jumped as the door opened, and set his glass down. "Bikky?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Ah, Ryo, tadaima."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned. "Where were you?...Eh? Bikky, who's that?"
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky glanced over his shoulder at the girl he was carrying. "Dunno. I found her when I was coming back. Some guy was attacking her."
>>>> 
>>>> "Has she been unconscious the whole time?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. Muttered something about eating her Chinese food and coffee, but other then that nothing."
>>>> 
>>>> "... She'll have to stay here for the night, we can't just leave her outside."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky grinned. "That's what I figured...what're we gonna do with him though?" He pointed to Dee.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked, looking down at Dee, smiling involuntarily at the happy look on his face. "Well, we can't kick him out either. He'd never make it home in this condition."
>>>> 
>>>> "Where's she gonna go then?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo thought a minute. "I have some spare blankets and a pillow. We can set her up on the floor. Probably better, anyway, because that way she can't roll off and hurt herself more."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky nodded. "Should I go get them?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No, I will. We should both be getting to bed, you have school tomorrow, remember?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai, hai." Bikky watched Dee out of the corner of his eye as Ryo stood. The dark cop grumbled and sleepily reached for Ryo as the Japanese man stood and started to leave. Ryo smiled slightly, avoiding the clumsy grab. "Oyasumi, Dee."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee rolled over and mumbled back. "G'night, Ryo."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky sniffed, face blank. He looked back at the girl, as Ryo left to get the blankets. She was very pretty, in a long overcoat, with long dark brown hair and pale skin. She murmured unconsciously, "Gonna call in sick tomorrow, so damn tired.". Ryo returned with a couple blankets and the extra pillows. After setting up a makeshift bed he pulled off her coat and blinked. She was wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt and black jeans, which did nothing to hide her figure. Bikky gaped, eyes wide. She was even prettier then she had been with the coat on. Ryo quickly lay her on the bed, pulling the top blanket over her. He stood, and watched her for a moment. "I should leave a light on, so she won't wake up somewhere strange and dark."
>>>> 
>>>> Walking into the kitchen he turned the lights on, then headed for his room, pausing only to put a blanket over Dee. "Bikky, you go to bed too."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai!" Bikky headed for bed, pausing to glance over his shoulder at the woman lying in the middle of the floor. "...Who is she?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Dee made a face as the light registered in his brain. He covered his face with his hands, trying to block it out and remain asleep. A voice cut through his haze. "Awake, finally? Dee, get up."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grumbled, trying to clear his brain of hangover fog. "Ryo?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes?"
>>>> 
>>>> "What time is it?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Nine am."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee groaned, sitting up slowly. "Gotta get ready for work."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee opened one eye. Ryo sounded awful distracted. He blinked the eye, then opened the other one. "Hey, where'd the chick come from?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned at him. "Dee... Bikky found her yesterday. She's been unconscious the whole time. He said she was being robbed."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ugh. I'm barely even up and already work comes looking for me."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shook his head, walking to the kitchen. "You better get moving. I'll make breakfast."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai, hai. I'm up. Got any coffee?"
>>>> 
>>>> The girl started violently, sitting up and throwing off her covers, glaring through sleep-hazed eyes. "No coffee for you! You ate all my Chinese. Jamie, you...Araa?"
>>>> 
>>>> She peered around, pausing on the two startled cops. "Who are you?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo smiled. "I'm Randy. Randy McLane."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee Laytner."
>>>> 
>>>> She smiled. "Danielle. Danielle Mills." She looked around. "...Where am I? Did Jamie go into a fit of redecorating while I was gone?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Anou...you're at my apartment."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why? Did I get kidnapped or something?"
>>>> 
>>>> The men sweatdropped as she looked at them with wide eyes and an innocent expression. "No...Bikky found you yesterday unconscious. He brought you back here to recover."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ahh, sou ka!" She clapped her hands together and stood. "I must've been robbed!"
>>>> 
>>>> "You don't remember?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Nope. I wasn't paying much attention to potential robbers, I was fairly tired."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well." Ryo smiled. "You're awake now. Why don't you come down to the station with us and make a report on what you remember before you go home?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You two are cops?"
>>>> 
>>>> They nodded. She sweatdropped. Shaking her head she stood, flipping her hair away from her face. She looked at them, a resigned expression on her face. "I don't suppose either of you have any clothes my size?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "So you live with another cop?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yep. Jamie."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo walked a few paces behind Dee and Danielle as they headed for the station, the dark pair talking amicably the whole way. He frowned as Dee leaned closer to Danielle, an intent look on his face. "So, which section does he work in?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Actually, he works..." She trailed off as they entered their offices. "...Here."
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?" The two men looked at her. "In the same section as us?"
>>>> 
>>>> Danielle nodded slowly. She frowned, thinking. "..." Her eyes widened as she looked over at Dee. "Anou..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee frowned. "I don't know anyone named Jamie who works here." He leaned in closer, face mere inches from hers. Ryo stiffened.
>>>> 
>>>> "Mmm, maybe you know him by his nickname."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai!!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee jumped back, a panicked expression on his face. "JJ!"
>>>> 
>>>> To no avail, of course. JJ raced toward him at full speed and glomped, attaching to his beloved sempai. "Dee-sempai, I missed you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I just saw you yesterday, baka! Get off me."
>>>> 
>>>> Danielle blinked, then looked back at Ryo. She flinched, eyes widening. His right eye was doing this funny twitching thing as he avoided looking at JJ and Dee. Dee growled and struggled to free himself. "Ryo! Danielle! HELP!"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. "Danny?"
>>>> 
>>>> Danielle nibbled on the tip on her forefinger. "I should've figured. Not many guys named Dee in this city. The fact you were a cop should've been a dead give-away."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ stared for a moment then released Dee, and pounced Danielle. "Danny! Where WERE you?!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee gaped. He'd been released... His brain took a few moments to comprehend this, then he recovered from his shock, getting hit by a lightening bolt, inside the precinct, with the windows closed, was more likely then JJ willingly releasing him, and hid behind Ryo. [Mmm, run-on sentences...] A few seconds later Ryo gave up trying to remove him and they turned back to the scene.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ was staring intently at Danielle, holding her hands in his. "What happened?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I was robbed, baka!" Danny glared poutily at him. "Honestly, you people. If you spent half the energy you do trying to get into each others pants there'd be SO much less crime around here."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo choked, Dee almost fell over laughing. At that moment the door opened and Ted, Drake, Taicho, and Berkley Rose entered. [Yes, all through the same door! At once! It's magic, people.] They all paused and stared. Dee clinging to a half-heartily resisting Ryo was nothing new, but JJ _not_ glomping Dee, focusing on a _woman_ of all things was totally out of place. Although, they all agreed as one, she was hot.
>>>> 
>>>> She turned her head to look at them, blowing a few stray locks of hair from her storm-gray eyes. "Who're they, Jamie?" She looked back to JJ, biting her lip.
>>>> 
>>>> The straight members of the crowd, aka the chief and Ted, were immediately struck down by hormones, eyes glazing. The others, being either bi or, in Ryo's case, in denial that he wasn't really straight, retained at least slight powers of speech. Ryo was currently distracted trying to pry Dee off him anyway. Berkley smiled smugly [he has other smiles?] and stepped forward, positioning himself to get a better view of her, holding out his hand. "I'm Berkley Rose."
>>>> 
>>>> Drake bowed his head. "I'm Drake..." He pointed to Ted. "This is Ted. And that's our chief."
>>>> 
>>>> Danielle giggled and waved. "Danielle Mills. Nice to meet you."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ frowned at the predatory look Rose was focusing on Danielle. "Ne, Danny...what happened to your clothes?"
>>>> 
>>>> She blinked, then tugged on the edge of her shirt. Ryo, for obvious reasons, hadn't had any clothes in her size, so she'd had to make do with changing into one of his shirts. It was a bit baggy, but none of the guys in the room seemed to mind. "I had to change. My other one got all dirty." She sighed. "Ryo isn't my size, but this one came close."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh..." He scowled. "What were you doing at Ryo-sempai's place?"
>>>> 
>>>> She smiled happily. "He helped me out after I got attacked...Well, his adopted kid did, really. But Ryo let me stay there."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny looked over Rose's shoulder, he was inching closer by the second, and blinked. "Araa?"
>>>> 
>>>> Everyone turned to look at what had caught her eye and sweatdropped. Dee had Ryo pinned against a wall and was, what else?, kissing him thoroughly. [If you think it's gratuitous, remember, this IS *Dee*] Everyone turned back to Danielle as she began laughing. She winked. "Guess I should've expected that too. They're cute together."
>>>> 
>>>> They stared at her as she turned, yet again, back to JJ. "Ne, Jamie, you finished my Chinese food, didn't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "For breakfast, why?"
>>>> 
>>>> She made a face at him. "That was mine! How could you?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. "Uhhh...That's not the point!"
>>>> 
>>>> She waved a hand at him. "I'm fine now, nothing really happened although..." She sighed. "I did lose my keys... Oh well." She pointed a finger at JJ. "To pay for eating my Chinese, you can go back and get me some real clothes...and my spare keys."
>>>> 
>>>> "I'm working right now!"
>>>> 
>>>> She glared at him. "Fine then! I'll just go by myself! Give me your keys."
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh? But...what if something happens?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You're working, remember?"
>>>> 
>>>> "But..."
>>>> 
>>>> Reaching into his pocket she fished around for his keys. With a yelp JJ pulled back, trying to get free. Drake sweatdropped. "Ne...JJ...Could this be..."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked at them, then laughed sheepishly. "Ahh, sou. This is Danny."
>>>> 
>>>> Ted and Drake reacted almost immediately, pointing in shock at JJ. "How come _you_ live with such a hot girl? And why didn't you _tell_ us!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny and JJ blinked. JJ frowned. "Gee, I wonder why..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny cheered as she pulled JJ's keys from his pocket. "There they are..." Standing on her tiptoes, she's shorter then him, OK? She gave JJ a quick kiss. "I'll see you later. I'm gonna call in sick today. Bring me back some food." She headed for the exit as the others tried to pick up their jaws, and looked around. "Araa? Where'd Dee-san go?"
>>>> 
>>>> She looked at Ryo who, predictably enough, was on his knees, gasping. [For breath, we assume...] "Randy-san, do you know where Dee-san went?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shook his head. She frowned. "Does he disappear like this often?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ stepped up beside her. "I'll take you back."
>>>> 
>>>> She hummed happily, latching onto his arm. "Arigato, JJ!"
>>>> 
>>>> The guys watched as they left, frowning. "What was that all about?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ted shook his head. "I still can't believe he's living with a hot chick like that..."
>>>> 
>>>> Taicho frowned. "What was she doing here in the first place?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo jumped to his feet, eyes widening. "She forgot! She has to file that report!" He sighed. "Oh well, maybe I'll have Bikky do it later. She did say she didn't remember anything."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee wandered back into the room. "Hey, she's gone?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. She and JJ just left."
>>>> 
>>>> Ted grinned. "Too bad you left, she wanted you to take her home."
>>>> 
>>>> "Kuso! I've got no luck today..." He sighed. "So what's with her and JJ anyway?"
>>>> 
>>>> Drake blinked. "Didn't she tell you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Not really."
>>>> 
>>>> Drake assumed his lecturing tone, as Taicho and Rose wandered out of the room, their part in this scene finished. "After JJ left the academy, he moved in with Danny." He made a face. "He always called her Danny, never said she was really a pretty girl. I always thought she was a guy."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why'd he move in with her? Did she go to the academy too? Or is he she his cousin or something?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Something. Apparently, she had an old house that she had a spare room in, so she lent it to him."
>>>> 
>>>> "Wait, didn't JJ move here recently?" Ryo asked, thinking.
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah."
>>>> 
>>>> "But she..."
>>>> 
>>>> "She moved out here with him."
>>>> 
>>>> "EH?" Dee was shocked. "She must really like him!" He grinned. "Must be nice, having a cute girl like that devoted to you."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned at him. "I'm sure that would make you just so happy."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned, wrapping an arm around Ryo's shoulder and pulling him closer. "Ahh, Ryo, buddy, don't be so upset. You know I'd follow you anywhere."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo didn't look as happy as he might have. "How nice to know..."
>>>> 
>>>> Drake coughed. "Well, anyway, as far as I know they don't have that kind of relationship. Kind of a sibling sort of thing, from what I can tell. They take care of each other. JJ said something about her moving out here partially cause of her career, so it might've been that he really followed her."
>>>> 
>>>> "She's definitely worth following." Ted agreed, with a hentai leer.
>>>> 
>>>> "What's she do?" Dee was curious.
>>>> 
>>>> Drake thought a minute. "I never did find that out...JJ doesn't talk about hi-er, her much."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ahhh, sou..." Dee stared out the door the pair had exited from. [How'd he know which door they used?...Magic again] "Wonder if we'll ever see her again?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "Ne, Danny, are you really OK?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai, hai. I would've told you if I wasn't."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ne, JJ."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Do you usually glomp Dee-san like that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Uhh..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You probably shouldn't, you know. He likes Randy-san."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ made a face. "I'm much better for him then Ryo-sempai! Ryo-sempai's always so mean to him!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't know about that...Dee has to see something in him, or he wouldn't put up with it." She poked JJ in the side. "And pouncing Dee-san every time you see him probably isn't helping. The poor guy is scared just to see you!"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sighed. "..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll find someone else."
>>>> 
>>>> "But I want Dee-sempai."
>>>> 
>>>> "And he wants Randy-san. Not everyone can be happy."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ made a face. "Life sucks."
>>>> 
>>>> "Now, JJ, you can't say something like that. People will think you're upset..." She kissed his cheek, then rested her head on his shoulder, leaning against him as they walked down the streets. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find another guy you like as much as Dee-san. You just have to look for him."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ bit back his reply. _But I don't _want_ to find someone else. I want Dee-sempai!_ "What about you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "What about me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Unless you've been hiding something from me you don't have a steady boyfriend either."
>>>> 
>>>> "True. I'm still looking though." She grinned up at him and winked. "Tell you what, let's go boy hunting this weekend."
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh? Boy hunting?" JJ blinked.
>>>> 
>>>> She made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "Yep. Boy hunting. Unless you've made some rather significant lifestyle changes in the past ten minutes you forgot to inform me about."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blushed. "Well, you see...it's just..."
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed. "You're not used to thinking about it so bluntly, deshou?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Isn't that kind of a...girly...thing to do?"
>>>> 
>>>> She pondered. "True..." She poked him in the side. "You may be gay, but you aren't girly."
>>>> 
>>>> "You're 'girly' enough for the both of us."
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed even harder. "True, true." They paused in front of their apartment building, Danny humming thoughtfully as they entered. "Ne, JJ..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai?"
>>>> 
>>>> "If you see that Bikky kid, tell him thanks for me, OK?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. "Uhh, sure."
>>>> 
>>>> She quickly unlocked the door, and, upon entering, searched around in a drawer. "Aha!" She pulled out a set of keys. "Here're my spares..." She tossed JJ's keys back to him. "See you later, Jamie. Don't forget to pick up some food on the way back, I'm not going to make dinner tonight."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. "Hai, hai." He started out the door, then looked back over his shoulder at her. "Are you sure you'll be OK? I'll stay if you want..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Kimishinai, kimishinai! You worry too much, I'll be fine."
>>>> 
>>>> He hesitated, as she walked to her room. After she disappeared into her room he slowly exited, pulling the door behind him. He stared at it a moment longer before turning abruptly, smiling. "Maa, iya! Like she said, she'll be OK."
>>>> 
>>>> Tucking his keys into his pocket he headed back to the station.
>>>> 
>>>> End part 1


	2. Meet the Children

False Impressions, Ch 2

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. Other then Danny, and the future villains. ;_; Normally I only have one set of lyrics (at the beginning of the chapter, to set the tone) but this one... well, this one's special so it gets two (from the same song). They fit it perfectly, so...No more babble, lest I spoil it! Onto the fic! And, please!, e-mail me comments!
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are my thoughts. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something.
>>>> 
>>>> **False Impressions, pt 2**
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Where in the world did you go?  
Without a clue, without a word  
What on earth did I do wrong?  
You won't believe how much I hurt 
>>>> 
>>>> - Erasure, 'where in the world'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned as he snuck up on Ryo, who was busy cooking and thus oblivious to his advance. He'd almost managed to get close enough to grab him when he was tripped. Falling facefirst into the floor, he glared over his shoulder at his assailant. "Bikky!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What do you think you're doing?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee climbed to his knees. "You little punk, go do your homework."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's already done!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Brat!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo turned as he heard sounds of a scuffle behind him. Looking down he sweatdropped. Dee was wrestling with Bikky, shouting something about math problems and going the hell away. "You two..."
>>>> 
>>>> They all stopped and looked up as they heard a knock at the door. "Araa?" Ryo frowned. "Who could that be?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee stood. "I'll get it." He left the kitchen, grumbling under his breath.
>>>> 
>>>> A moment later the door opened and Dee made a surprised noise. Bikky and Ryo looked at each other, as they heard Dee begin talking animatedly to whoever had arrived. "Who could that be?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo set his utensils down, and the other two males walked towards the door. Their eyes widened as they caught sight of the girl leaning up to give Dee a quick kiss on the cheek. "Danny?" Ryo blinked. "What're you doing here?"
>>>> 
>>>> She turned and smiled, holding up a bag. "I had to return your shirt, of course. Figured I'd come here, so I can get mine back too."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ah...Ah, sou! I'll go get it!" Ryo went into his bedroom, pulling the shirt off his bed. Returning he handed it to her. "Here, I washed it once I got home."
>>>> 
>>>> "Thanks!" Danny smiled. "I washed yours too." She peered over his shoulder. "Is that Bikky?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai." Ryo stepped aside. "Bikky, this is Danielle."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky nodded, mouth agape. Danny beamed. "Thanks for helping me, yesterday. I guess I should've been paying more attention."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky shook his head quickly. "Don't worry about it! Happy to help any time."
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed quietly, as he blushed slightly. Ryo smiled. "I was just making dinner. Would you like to stay over?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee seconded that idea. "Yeah, stay over! Having a pretty girl around is good for the digestion."
>>>> 
>>>> She sweatdropped. "Honto ni?... Mmm, wish I could. But..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shook his head, putting an arm around her shoulders. "No excuses! Come in, come in!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee, don't be rude!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I really would love to stay over, but...you see...anou..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm..." Dee learned in close, as he tended to when he was pressuring someone. "Why can't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Jamie..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee sweatdropped. "JJ?" He looked around, as if he expected the violet-haired cop to appear.
>>>> 
>>>> "Aa. I usually eat dinner with him, and I told him to bring back dinner today."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee thought about that for a long moment, then grinned. "Why don't you ask him to come over too?... You don't mind, do you Ryo?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shook his head.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny blinked. "You wouldn't mind? I mean, he'll still be... you know..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee made a face. "Sometimes a man must make sacrifices!"
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky joined in, finally. "Yeah! You gotta stay!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...if you all think it's OK..."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo smiled. "I think it's a good idea."
>>>> 
>>>> She smiled. "OK then! I better call JJ, he should be getting off work soon."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee and Bikky pointed her to the phone as Ryo went back to cooking. He listened to her half of the call before he put his headphones back on.
>>>> 
>>>> "Ohayo, JJ...Mm, I'm fine, really...Yeah, well, I went to Randy-san's place to drop off his shirt, and they invited me over to dinner. I was wondering if you wanted to come too...Don't be rude, Jamie...Yeah, Bikky's here...No, no girl... Are you sure?...Really?...Absolutely?... Ok, I'll tell them. Dee-san, JJ says...ACK! JJ! My ear!...Yes Dee's here...Sorry, I guess I should've told you. You gotta behave though. You can't sit in his lap while he's eating...OK, see you in a half-hour then!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shook his head as he heard Dee grumbling about JJ and his glomping. "This should be a very interesting dinner." He pulled his headphones on, and went back to cooking, adjusting for extra guests.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Carol hummed, walking down the hallway to Ryo's apartment. She was a bit late, but she figured she'd be forgiven. Opening the door she stepped into chaos.
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-semPAI!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Get OFF ME!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Jamie! You promised to behave!"
>>>> 
>>>> "But...AHHH! Dee-sempai!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Stay away!!"
>>>> 
>>>> "ACK! Dee-san, hanasae!"
>>>> 
>>>> Carol gaped. JJ was on the floor, having been knocked there by Dee during his brief distraction talking to Danny. Dee was currently clinging to Danny, who was sitting on the couch, in a very JJ-esque manner, watching the other cop with a look of horror on his face. Bikky was sitting on Danny's lap and kicking Dee in the shin. Ryo was watching from the kitchen, glaring at Dee. She stepped inside, hesitantly. "Hello?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo turned to her. "Ahh, Carol. Dinner's almost ready." He glared again at Dee, then disappeared into the kitchen. Carol nodded, watching as Danny tried to get free, and JJ looked for a way to glomp Dee. Then she blinked, stared, and blinked some more. Dropping her bag she pulled out a magazine, and flipped through the pages. "...Uso!"
>>>> 
>>>> She looked up at Danny, then back at the ad in the magazine, then sweatdropped. Meanwhile, Danny ordered JJ to check on the status of dinner, and Dee let her go once the cop had left. It was peaceful, for about ten seconds, before Bikky rested his head on Danny's chest, snuggling up close against her. Danny and Dee almost choked, as Dee grabbed the back of the boys shirt and dragged him back, yelling. JJ returned, and watched as Dee and Bikky raced around the couch as Danny watched, looking rather shell-shocked. He turned to Carol. "What's that?"
>>>> 
>>>> She held the magazine up wordlessly, watching Danny. He blinked and grinned. "Oh, that. She never did like that picture, I don't see what's so bad about it though." He handed it back to her, then tried to make a grab for Dee but missed. Danny tripped him up, dumping him on the couch next to her, and sat on his arm. That seriously limited his ability to go after Dee, who was too busy chasing Bikky to care.
>>>> 
>>>> Into all this returned Ryo, who sweatdropped. "Anou...Dinner's ready."
>>>> 
>>>> The magic words! Bikky and Dee ran to the table, Danny got off JJ's arm and pulled him to the table, sitting him next to her and herself across from Dee. Ryo sat between the other two cops, and Carol took the final spot. JJ didn't look too happy about the seating arrangements, he couldn't even play footsie with his sempai without having to go around two people!, but he was happy to be eating. They'd all been served when, of all people, Carol started the fuss up again. She pointed her fork at Danny. "You're Danielle Mills, aren't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai. Why?"
>>>> 
>>>> Carol tossed the magazine, ad-side up, on the table. She pointed at that with her fork. "That's you, isn't it?"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny made a face at the ad, featuring a smiling brunette in a sundress on a beach. "Yes, although it's a highly unflattering shot."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee choked on some meat. "You're a model?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Didn't Jamie tell you?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee glared at JJ. "No."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. "I didn't think it was important."
>>>> 
>>>> "What do you mean, you didn't think it was important!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo picked up that magazine and looked the ad over. "No wonder you seemed familiar."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky nodded. "I remember now! You're, like, all over!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny sweatdropped. "Not really. My managers always complaining I could be so much more popular if I was just willing to travel to shoots more often."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm? You don't like travel?" Ryo seemed surprised.
>>>> 
>>>> "Only when I'm going for fun. I hate traveling for work, it feels more like a chore then something fun."
>>>> 
>>>> "True, I suppose."
>>>> 
>>>> "That's part of why I'm here. Easier to arrange shoots in town, so I don't have to travel."
>>>> 
>>>> "Are you sure it's a good idea though?" Ryo handed the magazine to Dee. "I mean, with the murders and all."
>>>> 
>>>> Carol blinked. "Murders?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded. "Didn't you hear? It's been in the papers. Some psycho's going around killing off models."
>>>> 
>>>> Carol gasped. "That's awful!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny smiled. "I suppose it's dangerous, but... We have a lot of security at our studio, they're all taking this really seriously." She winked. "Besides, whenever I get in trouble I can count on Jamie to come in and help me out. One of the benefits to living with a cop, you know."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky blinked. "You live with JJ?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course, that's why I said he had to come too. Why did you think?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I just thought you'd made dinner plans, or something."
>>>> 
>>>> She shook her head. "Nope. We have an old flat over by Central Park."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky stared at JJ with wide eyes. "Why do YOU live with her?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ glared at him, Dee reached across the table to whack him upside the head. "What do you mean, why me? Is there something wrong with that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I mean...she's a girl, and you're..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed. "It's not as much of an issue as you'd think. It's nice having someone you can seriously discuss guys with, while still having a guy around the house."
>>>> 
>>>> The others sweatdropped. JJ went back to eating. Bikky shook his head, grumbling about it 'not being right' as he went back to eating. Ryo still looked concerned. "The attack yesterday may have something to do with this, you know. You should probably get some more protection, just in case."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dame! Absolutely not. If I'm under guard all the time I'll never be able to have any fun."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sweatdropped. "There're more important things than having fun."
>>>> 
>>>> She waved him off. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
>>>> 
>>>> He looked unconvinced, but went back to eating. "If you insist..."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> The adults were curled up on the couch, since the kids had been sent to bed, and they were more then half-drunk...
>>>> 
>>>> Rather, Dee and Danny were drunk, and Ryo and JJ were just getting there.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo had been on the floor, until Dee had drunkenly insisted that he join the group and hauled him into his lap. Ryo might have fought his way free, Dee was drunk enough to be easily beatable, but before he'd recovered from his shock Dee had tangled their legs together and buried his face in Ryo's shoulder. Ryo had simply sighed, and decided that it would be more difficult to try and free himself then it was worth...but he couldn't quite squish the little voice in the back of his mind saying that he was rationalizing, and that the only 'trouble' would be concentrating, with Dee's breath ghosting across his skin like that.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ wasn't interested in rationalization vs decision, or even the fact that he had Danny sprawled across his lap half-asleep... OK, so maybe he was a little interested in that last, but he denied that it really mattered. What was important was the fact that _Ryo_ was the one in _his_ sempai's lap. He personally believed that Ryo should be on the floor, or maybe a chair, with _him_ in Dee-sempai's lap...Danny could still be half-asleep on the couch, though.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo glanced over at JJ, trying very hard to ignore the fact that Dee was holding him so close he could feel the others warmth through their clothing. He winced, wishing he hadn't. JJ was glaring at him fit to kill and bury. "A-anou...I think you better get Danny home."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked, then looked down at Danny. She was muttering sleepily, eyes still open. It was obvious she was losing the battle of consciousness though. "She's such a sleepy drunk..." He stood, ignoring her squawk of annoyance as she was dropped to the cushion, and went to get their coats. Danny pouted sleepily, attempting to sit up. She did try valiantly, but never quite made it beyond a 40-degree angle. Eventually she gave up and curled up around a cushion. Ryo sweatdropped, trying not to laugh. She was extremely amusing when drunk. He gasped as Dee tightened his arms around him, and attempted to burrow even closer against Ryo. "D-Dee?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You're so nice 'n warm, Ryo..." Dee replied, sleepily. He smiled, sending shocks up Ryo's spine. He could feel...! "Why you always act so cold? You know I wanna..." He trailed off.
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee..." Ryo breathed, eyes wide enough the whites were showing.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ returned wearing his coat and carrying Danny's and scowled. Ryo looked trapped between hyper-ventilating and relaxing into Dee's arms. Very...not...good... "Ahem!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo jumped, or rather tried too. "JJ! You scared me!"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sniffed, walking back to the couch and sitting Danny up. She protested this most vehemently, making a firm argument of 'mmmmfgs! Mff, rrf nuf!'. He didn't bother translating, much of her phrasing was undoubtedly uncomplimentary. She had a bad habit of swearing when drunk. He put her coat on her, then picked her up. He glared icily at Ryo. "We're going back home." That said he stalked out the door, like an affronted cat. One would almost guess that his hair was standing on end.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shivered. "Scary..." He attempted to stand, but was dragged back down by Dee. Again. "Dee, let me go. I need to get to sleep."
>>>> 
>>>> "Schleep here. No work t'marrow. Relax..."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo made a face, continuing his attempts to free himself. Abruptly Dee let him go, and he fell over onto the floor. "Fine then!" Dee sounded mortally insulted. "God, you're such a tease."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo picked himself up. "Dee?" He reached out to touch Dee's shoulder, but had his hand slapped away. 
>>>> 
>>>> "Go to bed, Ryo. Lemme 'lone."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo stood, and started towards his room. He'd gone about five steps when the voice in his head made him turn and look at Dee. He looked so hurt, lying there clutching a cushion. He winced, biting his lip. Dee looked like a slapped child, one who was trying very hard not to start crying. Before he could think he was back at the couch, laying down behind Dee, wrapping his arms around him. Dee stiffened. "Go 'way!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Iie."
>>>> 
>>>> "...You don't care..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I care."
>>>> 
>>>> "...I know."
>>>> 
>>>> "So why don't you?" Dee's voice was accusing, sleep and drink ridding him of all inhibitions.
>>>> 
>>>> "... I don't know..." Dee turned to glare at him. "You don't know nothin'."
>>>> 
>>>> "God, you're drunk."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo winced as Dee's eyes flashed, and he spun to face away from him again. That was _not_ the right thing to say. "What do you care?!"
>>>> 
>>>> "It's just...you're just drunk, you-"
>>>> 
>>>> "I am _not_ just drunk!" Dee's voice was angry. Angrier then Ryo had ever heard him before. "You always, always!, are like this! I always tell you how I feel, but you never...you never..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I...I..." What? He what?
>>>> 
>>>> His breath left in a rush as Dee elbowed him sharply in the stomach, and shoved him off the couch. For a moment they stared at each other in shock, then Dee yelled at him. "Go away, Ryo! I don't want you! Leave me the hell alone!" He stood and ran for the door, stumbling slightly.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo gaped after him, trying to make sense of what had happened. Dee had had tears in his eyes! He'd been about to cry! He...he...
>>>> 
>>>> _He doesn't want you anymore_. The voice, now louder, filled in cruelly. _Cause you were too _stupid_ to admit that maybe, just maybe, you liked him_. He stretched a hand out, towards the door Dee had recently vacated from. "...Dee..."
>>>> 
>>>> Standing, he walked into his bedroom, changed into his pajamas, then froze. He didn't have work tomorrow. Neither did Dee... He wouldn't see Dee again for two days, unless... 
>>>> 
>>>> He coolly tossed his dirty clothes in the hamper, and staggered over to his bed. Then he buried his face in his pillow and sobbed. _Dee..._
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> You leave me desolate and torn   
Go and fight in someone else's war   
And so you put us both to shame   
Don't come near me   
Don't you make it go away 
>>>> 
>>>> -Erasure, 'where in the world'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> End Part 2 [Leah: *sniffles* Dee! ;_;]
>>>> 
>>>> [Get the Song the lyrics come from][1]
>>>> 
>>>> (Please, please comment! That e-mail again, Aute@aol.com or Leah-chan@excite.com)

   [1]: music.htm



	3. The Problem With Hangovers

False Impressions 3

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. ;_; Other then Danny, Josh, and future villains. 
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are meant to entertain. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something. Lines in _italics _are thoughts. 
>>>> 
>>>> False Impressions ch 3
>>>> 
>>>> By Leah
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Enough to taste of bitterness  
Hits me in the face, someone else's wish  
Here I lay awake, alone  
Just wishing you'd come home
>>>> 
>>>> - Erasure, 'where in the world'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> JJ cursed as he fumbled to fit his keys in the lock, nearly dropping Danny. Finally managing to unlock the door, he pushed it open quickly, tossing his keys on a nearby table. He frowned down at Danny, who was staring blankly at him with glazed-over eyes. "You're such a pain when drunk."
>>>> 
>>>> "Heeee." She reached up and, with a strangely intent expression, began to play with a lock of his hair. "Pretty..."
>>>> 
>>>> He sighed. "You really drank far too much, you know..."
>>>> 
>>>> She stuck her tongue out at him, too far gone to respond coherently verbally.
>>>> 
>>>> "...No help for it." He crossed the entryway, carrying her towards her room. "Guess I'll have to tuck you into bed."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yay! Story?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. "What do I look like, your father?"
>>>> 
>>>> Something flashed in her eyes. "... I don't remember him ever reading to me..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Right now you probably don't remember much of anything."
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed. "Ha~ai!"
>>>> 
>>>> He carried her into her room, struggling a bit with the door. Setting her on the bed he pulled her shoes off. She watched with an intent expression. "...Ne, Jamie..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Are you undressing me?"
>>>> 
>>>> He choked. "I'm just taking your shoes off! You can't sleep in them." He turned a bright red.
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh. OK then." She flopped against her pillows, curling up. "Arigato."
>>>> 
>>>> "Do you have work tomorrow?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Iie. Wouldn't've drunk so much."
>>>> 
>>>> "I guess..." Leaning forward he massaged her back, slowly. She purred and melted against the cushions. "You better get some sleep. You've got to be tired."
>>>> 
>>>> She didn't respond. She already was asleep.
>>>> 
>>>> He shook his head. "You're a very sleepy drunk." Leaning forward he kissed her temple. "Oyasumi nasai, Danny."
>>>> 
>>>> In her sleep, Danny smiled. [Leah takes a moment to consider the situation. A worried JJ watching over her in bed...No, I'm not experiencing feelings of jealousy towards my own character...Really...OK, yes I am. *_*]
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky yawned, wandering out of his room. "Ne, Ryo, what's...huh?" He blinked, looking around. "Where is everyone?" He gasped. "No way!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee wasn't on the couch, which was highly suspicious considering the drinking he'd been doing even before Bikky went to sleep. Ryo never let Dee walk home drunk. JJ and Danny weren't there, but he hadn't expected them to be. Add the fact that Ryo wasn't up and making breakfast like normal... He eyed Ryo's door, then snuck up to it, slowly pushing it open. He peered in side, trying to make as little noise as possible. Looking in he frowned, Dee wasn't there either.
>>>> 
>>>> He shut the door, thinking. "... JJ and Danny must've brought him home!"
>>>> 
>>>> Mystery solved he headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. Ryo looked really tired, he probably wouldn't be up for another couple of hours, at least.
>>>> 
>>>> Pulling a box of cereal from the cupboard a thought struck him. Maybe Carol would be up for another movie, they didn't have school and she hadn't mentioned other plans yesterday. Glancing at the clock he decided to head over to her place after eating.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo woke up slowly, only reluctantly leaving the unconsciousness of sleep. He groaned as light, and memories, drove their way into his consciousness.
>>>> 
>>>> _I didn't even get drunk and I feel like shit._
>>>> 
>>>> Flinging his covers off he staggered to the bathroom. Turning the faucet on he submerged his face.
>>>> 
>>>> _This won't help what's really upsetting you. Unless, of course, you drown yourself. Dee isn't going to come out in that rush of cold water._
>>>> 
>>>> Pulling his face from the stream Ryo glared at the mirror. He wanted to kill that voice... Snatching up a towel he turned off the water, and stormed out of the bathroom. "Bikky, you awake?...Bikky?" he peered into Bikky's room and blinked. "He's gone."
>>>> 
>>>> _Alone_
>>>> 
>>>> He slowly shut the door, leaning against it.
>>>> 
>>>> _You're all alone._
>>>> 
>>>> He winced, biting his lip.
>>>> 
>>>> _What, have you finally decided what you feel? I bit late, isn't it? Maybe you should've gotten drunk, then you might've-_
>>>> 
>>>> _Shut up!_
>>>> 
>>>> Suppressing the voice he went into the kitchen, making a face at the bowl in the sink. Bikky had obviously left for the day. Quickly he threw a sandwich together, then wandered into the living room, eating. His gaze fell upon the phone as he chewed.
>>>> 
>>>> _What do you feel?_
>>>> 
>>>> He bit savagely into the sandwich, trying to quell the voice again.
>>>> 
>>>> _All right then.. What do you want? _Who _do you want?_
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo closed his eyes, thinking. _... Dee..._
>>>> 
>>>> Opening them he set his sandwich down, and walked over to the phone. Picking up the receiver he dialed Dee's number. On the third ring Dee picked up, voice raspy and harsh as if he'd just woken up. 'Nani ga? What's up?'
>>>> 
>>>> _... I feel..._
>>>> 
>>>> '...Hello?'
>>>> 
>>>> _I feel...I want..._
>>>> 
>>>> 'Oi? Anyone there?
>>>> 
>>>> _I...I'm..._
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo's mouth opened, and his lips moved, but no sound came out.
>>>> 
>>>> 'Shit, don't wake a guy up unless it's important.' Dee hung up, cursing.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo set the receiver down, staring at the phone. He sat and thought for a long time.
>>>> 
>>>> _What do I feel?_
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Dee hung the phone up, grumbling. He felt awful and just wanted to go back to sleep. No chance of that though, not with his head the way it was. He'd had WAY too much to drink last night...
>>>> 
>>>> Last night...
>>>> 
>>>> Dee frowned, clutching his head with one hand, the other fishing in a drawer for some pain killers. Something important had happened. Something...Ryo... He groaned as all the thinking made his head throb anew. "Dammit... where IS that stuff?"
>>>> 
>>>> It took an hour, a bath, and a few more Excedrin then he probably should've taken, but he finally got rid of that hangover. Making a quick breakfast of a bagel and some coffee he tried to remember what'd happened the night before. He remembered drinking with Danny and JJ, and grabbing Ryo...none of that seemed particularly out of the ordinary. He frowned, sipping his coffee. There was something...something to do with Ryo... The reason he was home rather then sleeping it off on Ryo's couch...
>>>> 
>>>> Try as he might, he couldn't think of it though. Making a disgusted face he dumped his coffee mug in the sink and went to the phone. Pulling a small card out of his pocket he stared at it. "Maybe..."
>>>> 
>>>> He couldn't ask Ryo. Ryo was probably mad at him, and would only get more so if he admitted he'd been drunk out of his mind and remembered nothing. JJ was absolutely out of the question, even Bikky would be a better choice. That left...
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny..."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Danny smiled as Dee entered the gun rang. "Hi, Dee. Feeling better?"
>>>> 
>>>> He made a face. "Yeah, finally. Took an hour."
>>>> 
>>>> "You drank a lot."
>>>> 
>>>> "So did you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah...But I don't get really bad hangovers, usually."
>>>> 
>>>> "Lucky."
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't you know it!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What're you doing here, anyway? Learning to shoot?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I already know how. Jamie taught me."
>>>> 
>>>> "JJ did? Shoulda figured. Practicing then?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Iie." She pointed at the only other person around, JJ, who was unloading his gun at a small target. Dee raised an eyebrow. "JJ dragged you down here?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Not really." She handed him a gun. "Why don't you try?"
>>>> 
>>>> He nodded, taking the gun and the earplugs she handed him. Aiming at the target he started shooting...
>>>> 
>>>> He had to admit, he did feel much better after he'd finished the clip, and the target started towards him to show how good his accuracy had been. Something about the mere act of shooting had calmed him down, a bit. He turned back to Danny, who was watching the target with a small smile on her face. She winked at him. "Kind of obvious why JJ's your sharpshooter."
>>>> 
>>>> He frowned, noogie-ing [spelling?] her playfully. "What, you think you're a better shot then me?"
>>>> 
>>>> She smirked. "Of course! Jamie taught me, after all." She picked up the gun and loaded a new clip, moving to a fresh target. A few minutes later Dee was duly embarrassed. She was a much better shot then him.
>>>> 
>>>> "You shouldn't try to outshoot Danny, Dee-sempai. She's probably even better then Ryo."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee jumped, and spun, arms held up defensively. "JJ!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mou, Jamie, sneaking up on people again!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Not my fault you couldn't hear me."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Randy-san's a sharpshooter too?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded, then smirked. "I'm better then him though."
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course you are." Danny spoke this as if it was an obvious fact. "You're the best shot. I've always told you that."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shook his head. "Don't encourage him, you'll give him a big head."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed. "Be careful, JJ. You'd look funny with a big head."
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny and Dee laughed at his expression. He sulked. Danny patted his shoulder. "Maa, maa. Dee-san, have you eaten yet?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I had a bagel."
>>>> 
>>>> "No good. Absolutely no good. Come on, let's go get a real meal."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee looked unsure. "Well..." He eyed JJ surreptitiously.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny grabbed his arm, leaning up against him. "Come on, it'll be fun." She whispered in his ear. "Give JJ a chance. I made him swear he'd behave today. If you're nice I can probably convince him to keep it up."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee considered that. "Well...OK."
>>>> 
>>>> Wrapping an arm around her shoulders he pulled her toward the exit. When they passed JJ he, surprisingly, put an arm around him too.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ almost passed out, prevented only by the certainty that if he did he'd be left behind. Danny smiled. "Let's go to Starvin' Marvin's."
>>>> 
>>>> "Where?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Stavin' Marvin's. A pizza place." [It truly, honest to god exists. By my dentists. Haven't eaten there yet.]
>>>> 
>>>> "Sounds OK to me."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded stupidly, too blissed out to protest.
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, now we face a far harder issue."
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Cheese or pepperoni?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "So then we went back home, but there was Danny, trying on some lingerie for a shoot. Ryan was so shocked he almost passed out."
>>>> 
>>>> "I apologized!"
>>>> 
>>>> "But you hadn't changed yet!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee snickered.
>>>> 
>>>> "Anyway, Ryan recovered and immediately accused me of hiding my sinful heterosexual lifestyle from him."
>>>> 
>>>> "We all ended up drinking and eating dinner together...The next evening, at least."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee laughed. "The perils of living with a woman."
>>>> 
>>>> "It wasn't my fault! He didn't tell me he had a date that evening, how was I supposed to know?...Ne, JJ, would you go get some more pizza?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hai." He immediately stood and walked off. Danny sipped her soda and turned to Dee. "Well?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well what?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Why did you want to talk to me?"
>>>> 
>>>> He turned serious. "... Do you remember if Ryo and I had a fight last night?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I think I had a fight with him, but..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You were too drunk to remember?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah."
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't remember you fighting, and Jamie hasn't gloated about it. He would, so it might've been after we left."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee sighed. "I guess so..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Can't you remember anything?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No, I..." He concentrated, digging through his alcohol-sodden memories. "I..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well then, the solution is simple."
>>>> 
>>>> "Huh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You know you had a fight, right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah."
>>>> 
>>>> "So apologize to him when you see him again."
>>>> 
>>>> "What if I was right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't apologize like you were wrong. Apologize for getting mad at him in the first place."
>>>> 
>>>> "You mean...apologize for having the fight?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. If it was really important, he'll probably spill what it was all about while talking to you. If it was little, then he won't and it won't matter."
>>>> 
>>>> "... That's a really good idea!" He grinned widely.
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course it is."
>>>> 
>>>> He poked her temple. "Careful or you'll get a big head yourself."
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed, playfully batting his hands away. It'd escalated into a small scale battle when JJ returned, carrying a pizza. He quickly set his burden down, and joined. On Danny's side.
>>>> 
>>>> "Oi! No fair ganging up on me!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed. "Your own fault for starting it."
>>>> 
>>>> "JJ, how could you abandon me like that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Didn't you know, sempai? I always help Danny. Even when it's her own dumb fault."
>>>> 
>>>> "HEY! Jamie! That wasn't very helpful or protective of you!" Danny attempted to tickle him, frowning.
>>>> 
>>>> "AHH! Danny, stop!" JJ backed away too quickly, lost his balance, and fell over. Pulling himself to his feet he glared at his companions. "Stop laughing at me!"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sighed, walking slowly into the station. He was still unsure what he was going to say to Dee. Attempting a smile he entered the office, eyes searching the room. Dee was in one corner, talking to JJ. Ryo frowned, their conversation looked more casual and friendly then he'd have excepted
>>>> 
>>>> _JJ sure doesn't waste any time._
>>>> 
>>>> _Unlike you?_
>>>> 
>>>> That damn voice again...squashing it, yet again, he walked purposefully to his desk. "Hello."
>>>> 
>>>> Neither seemed to notice his greeting. Ryo fumed, stretching out a hand to tap Dee on the shoulder.
>>>> 
>>>> _What if Dee started the conversation?_
>>>> 
>>>> He froze, then slowly pulled back. Dee had been getting along with JJ better the other nice...
>>>> 
>>>> _And, since he no longer wants _you_..._
>>>> 
>>>> Sinking into his chair he pulled out the paperwork he'd left, refusing to let Dee see how upset he was. He barely even noticed, really, when JJ left, and Dee returned to stand by his desk. The silence stretched as Ryo stubbornly worked on the forms. He nearly jumped out of his chair when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.
>>>> 
>>>> "D-Dee?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you like that..."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked. Dee was apologizing to _him_? "I-It's OK, really. It wasn't your fault."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hey, I'm the one apologizing here!" The arms tightened around him. "I don't want you mad at me."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee..." Ryo practically melted right then and there.
>>>> 
>>>> "So...are you mad at me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course not!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Good..." The arms released him and he heard Dee walking away.
>>>> 
>>>> He was out of his chair before he could think, grabbing Dee in as fierce a hug as JJ could ever hope to.
>>>> 
>>>> "Ryo?!"
>>>> 
>>>> He buried his face in Dee's back, wrapping his arms around Dee's waist. After a minute Dee sighed. "Sorry, I must've been a real ass, to make you this upset..."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo shook his head. "It wasn't your fault... I..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee took Ryo's hands in his, relaxing into the hug. "... I know..."
>>>> 
>>>> _I'm still not sure how I feel..._
>>>> 
>>>> He tightened his arms around Dee.
>>>> 
>>>> _But...I think..._
>>>> 
>>>> Dee turned around and hugged him back, one arm around his waist the other tangled in his hair, resting his chin on Ryo's head.
>>>> 
>>>> _I think... I'm getting closer..._
>>>> 
>>>> _I feel...warm..._
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo clung to Dee, listening to the others heartbeat. And, for that perfect piece of time, he stopped thinking, content in the warmth of Dee's arms.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> JJ stared at his watch. Five minutes...
>>>> 
>>>> Four...
>>>> 
>>>> Three...
>>>> 
>>>> "Wahh! Jamie! Sorry I'm so late." Danny ran up, breathing heavily. "The shoot ran over."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's OK. You had a couple minutes before I was going to leave."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ah! You'd just leave me like that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You're almost twenty minutes late."
>>>> 
>>>> She pouted. "It wasn't my fault!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Whose was it?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sarah. She's such a klutz. She tripped on a wire and knocked over all the lights."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ouch."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. Messed everything up. I had to pull some rank to get here even this late!"
>>>> 
>>>> He shook his head. "So you'll be late tonight?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I doubt it. The others are working through lunch. Most of us have plans."
>>>> 
>>>> "OK. Want me to pick something up on my way home?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sure. Italian would be nice."
>>>> 
>>>> The waiter approached for their orders, breaking up conversation for a few minutes.
>>>> 
>>>> "So, how's everything at work?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Fine. Busy, but otherwise OK."
>>>> 
>>>> "Randy-san and Dee-san?"
>>>> 
>>>> "They're OK."
>>>> 
>>>> "Good." She seemed peculiarly smug about that. "Did you try not glomping Dee-san?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah."
>>>> 
>>>> "And?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...nothing much happened. We talked about a case, but..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You can't expect him to change his opinion so suddenly. You've been too aggressive for too long."
>>>> 
>>>> "You really think that this'll help?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course. You were doing it all wrong. Dee's the dominant type, he does _not_ appreciate being chased like that."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Do you think I still have a chance?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...Maybe. You always say Randy-san's too cold to him, so here's your chance to warm him up."
>>>> 
>>>> "I guess."
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't worry. You lost some time, but you aren't out of the race yet. Just treat him the same as me."
>>>> 
>>>> "You think that'll work?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mhmm. Dee'll appreciate being treated nicely, and having someone friendly. It's more his style."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Trust me! Would I lie to you about something like this?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No..."
>>>> 
>>>> "And don't I always give good advice about these kinds of things?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I guess..."
>>>> 
>>>> "So stop worrying. I can't guarantee that Dee-san isn't too far in love with Randy-san already, but I will help you... of course..." She sipped her drink. "I'll help them too, if they ask."
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny! That's two-timing!"
>>>> 
>>>> She stuck her tongue out at him. "No it isn't. I just think they're cute together...If you weren't so stuck on Dee I wouldn't be helping you at all. Like I said, I'm not sure you can win this. It'd be best to move on."
>>>> 
>>>> "You should just help me then!"
>>>> 
>>>> "So, you want me to set things up so that they break up, which'll probably traumatize Dee, just so you can have a better chance with him?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...Uhh..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Not to mention that, if he ever found out, he'd be so upset and disgusted he'd probably never talk to us again?...And that I'm probably not as good at creating problems as I am at fixing them."
>>>> 
>>>> "...You're supposed to be on my side!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I am. I've been helping, and will. But I do think it's not good for you."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Ne, Danny."
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "If your so good with this relationship stuff, why don't you have a boyfriend?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Simple. Men are flawed. Especially straight guys. They just like me because I'm pretty."
>>>> 
>>>> He sweatdropped. "And that isn't a problem with me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Nope." She grinned. "Because you and your boyfriends don't think about me that way."
>>>> 
>>>> "I guess..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You know I'm right...ooh, here comes our food! I thought I was gonna starve."
>>>> 
>>>> "You always say that."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh, be quiet."
>>>> 
>>>> * * *
>>>> 
>>>> Danny yawned, leaning against a wall. It was so boring, waiting around for the others to finish, so she could get her part of the shoot done.
>>>> 
>>>> "Bored?"
>>>> 
>>>> She turned to look at the guy who'd spoken. He was tall and Italian, with short black hair just hiding his eyes and an amused grin. "A bit. Why?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You yawned. You're either bored or tired."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm."
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't suppose you can tell me where I could find Bill Sakamoto, now do you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm? Why?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I need to talk to him about a shoot my agencies trying to arrange."
>>>> 
>>>> She pointed lazily towards a particular figure in the crowd. "That's him."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ahh..." He turned back to her. "What's your name?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Danielle Mills."
>>>> 
>>>> He blinked. "..." He started laughing.
>>>> 
>>>> She frowned. "What's so funny?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You're the one I came to hire!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh, really? What for?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. I need someone for some winter clothing ads. I was told you were the one to ask for."
>>>> 
>>>> She shrugged. "I can do winter ads."
>>>> 
>>>> They turned as they heard a crash. Danny groaned. "Not again!"
>>>> 
>>>> One of the models, a petit blond, was on the floor, having fallen off the chair she'd been sitting precariously on. Danny shook her head. "Sarah is such a klutz, I swear. We'd be done so much faster if she'd just get a sense of balance."
>>>> 
>>>> He smiled at her. "Well, since we're probably both stuck here until the end of the shoot why don't we go out to dinner afterwards?"
>>>> 
>>>> She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll pass. I promised JJ I'd be home for dinner."
>>>> 
>>>> "Boyfriend?"
>>>> 
>>>> She laughed. "Hardly. Housemate, you might say."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ah."
>>>> 
>>>> "Besides, I don't even know your name." She walked off, towards her manager, who was gesturing for her to come and take Sarah's place, as he took the girl off to the side for a chat. The man she'd been talking to smiled, coldly. "I'm Josh. Josh Raven." He eyed Sarah, who was looking pitiful and upset about the whole thing. Then at the other models, who were obviously furious at being delayed again. "Maybe tomorrow."
>>>> 
>>>> He left, quickly. After all, Sakamoto was obviously busy. He'd just have to come back the next day.


	4. Candycane Kisses

False Impressions 4...Candycane kisses!

> > > > Disclaimer: Danny, Josh and future villains are mine. The others are not. I only wish they were.
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in italics are thoughts.
>>>> 
>>>> -  
And who can say if your love grows as your heart shows  
Only time  
Who can say why your heart sighs as your love flies  
Only time  
And who can say why your heart cries when your love lies  
Only time  

>>>> 
>>>> Enya, 'Only Time'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sighed, staring at the folder in his hand. "...There has to be a pattern in here somewhere..."
>>>> 
>>>> He jumped as a someone, standing right beside him, suddenly spoke. "What's this? Actually doing work?"
>>>> 
>>>> "AHHH!" He almost fell out of his chair, then looked at the speaker. "Dee-sempai!!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't scare me like that!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee made a face. "It's not my fault you didn't notice me come in. I even knocked!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sorry. I guess I got caught up in work."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee snatched the folder from him. "What's this?"
>>>> 
>>>> "The material on the model murders. I've been trying to look for some kind of pattern, but so far I've found nothing."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm? Different agencies, locations, age, looks...geez, looks like the only thing they have in common is that they're models."
>>>> 
>>>> "As far as I can tell, yes. We can't even tell how they met the murderer, since they all have different lifestyles. None of them eat at the same places regularly and none of them had the same personality type even."
>>>> 
>>>> "Tche. It's almost impossible. How many so far?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Nine."
>>>> 
>>>> "Nine?!" Dee blinked. "I did know it'd gotten that high..."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ took back his papers. "Yeah. One a week..."
>>>> 
>>>> "So...we got one yet this week?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No..."
>>>> 
>>>> "And you're worried it might be Danny?" Dee sounded amused.
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course! Aren't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well..." He thought. "It's kinda hard to think of anything happening to _her_."
>>>> 
>>>> " Bad things have happened to her before..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Guess so. She is only human, after all."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Dee-sempai..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Did you want something?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned and poked him on the forehead. "Nope. Just checking. You looked serious, for once."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. He wasn't quite sure what to make of that. "I'm a serious person!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm, maybe you really are." With that enigmatic statement, Dee left.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ watched him go, confused. "What was that all about?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> JJ glared at the door, then the packages in his hand. He nudged the door with a foot and made a face as it opened easily. "I thought I told you not to do that anymore!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny's voice drifted out of her bedroom. "Well, your hands are full, aren't they? It hasn't been open long."
>>>> 
>>>> "That's not the point..." He set the food down on a nearby stand and took off his coat and shoes. "You need to be more careful."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah, yeah, I know..." She walked out of her room, dropping her schedule book on the dining table. "What'd you get?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Lasagna."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ohh, sounds good."
>>>> 
>>>> He put the food on the table as she grabbed some plates. "Why're you checking your schedule, is something coming up?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Trying to work in some gym time. Been eating too many fatty things." She returned, carrying a couple of sodas and plates.
>>>> 
>>>> "And you asked me to get Italian?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I'm in the mood for it... Speaking of Italian, I talked to a delicious one at work this afternoon."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. Apparently he's trying to arrange with Bill for a shoot."
>>>> 
>>>> "More work is always good."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. Been busy lately..." She scooped some of the lasagna onto her plate. "Whoa, this stuff's messy."
>>>> 
>>>> "I got it from our usual place."
>>>> 
>>>> They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then Danny, bored, started the conversation again. "Guess what Sean brought in today."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean? Your makeup guy?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Makeup guy?" She made a face. "How...non-technical. But essentially true."
>>>> 
>>>> "What'd he bring?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Candy canes!'
>>>> 
>>>> "But it's October!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I know. Apparently his sister found some when she was out shopping and gave them to him as a joke. He gorged himself sick on them last year, so is getting rid of them this time."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's still odd."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean's an odd type of guy. You'd probably like him though."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mmm..."
>>>> 
>>>> "How was everything at the office."
>>>> 
>>>> "Weird."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. Dee-sempai was asking me about the case, but he left before I could really tell him anything."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny pondered that, tapping her bottom lip with her fork. "What'd he say?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ struggled to remember the exact words. "He said I was looking all serious. I told him I was serious, and he said 'Hmmm' all thoughtfully 'maybe you really are.'"
>>>> 
>>>> "..." Danny frowned almost imperceptibly. "Maybe he's finally realizing that you're serious about him."
>>>> 
>>>> "You think so?" JJ blinked at her, then thought. He grinned. "Maybe he is!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I told you not glomping him was a good idea."
>>>> 
>>>> He frowned. "Why didn't he realize I was serious before?... Oh well..." He grinned. "Chance!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny smiled. "This should make things...interesting...Anyway, why don't you take a few of the candy canes. I shouldn't be eating them..."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded absently, barely paying attention. She quickly finished her food, then excused herself. Rinsing off her plate she shook her head. "Nothing good will come from this. Nothing at all." She stared out the window, eyes distant. "Someone's going to get hurt..."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai!!" JJ burst into the office, looking around. "Eh? Where'd Ryo-sempai go?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee growled. "He left me!" He gestured at the piles of papers on his desk. "He abandoned me to face all this work by myself!"
>>>> 
>>>> "How cruel." JJ sat down beside Dee. They were the only two in the room. "Why didn't you do this paperwork earlier?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Err...I was busy!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mmm. Anyway, Danny wanted me to invite you, Ryo-sempai and the kids over for dinner sometime this week."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee made a face. "You'll have to ask him tomorrow." He glared at the papers, trying to make them finish themselves with the force of his glare.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sighed. Dee-sempai was obviously not in the mood to talk. He stood. "Well..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Are you going to abandon me too?" Dee wailed.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. If he put it like that... "Of course not!" He replied quickly.
>>>> 
>>>> "JJ..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...Why do you have a candy cane? It's not even Halloween yet."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, Danny got some yesterday and told me to eat them." He took a quick lick from the half-finished candy. "They're really good, actually."
>>>> 
>>>> "Really?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm." JJ smiled. "I'll bring you one tomorrow."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm..." Dee stood, walked over and hauled him out of his chair, kissing him.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ's rational mind went into shock. It went through a whole list of possibilities, including hallucination as one of the top choices, to explain why, as far as senses could register, JJ was now getting an extremely pointed example of how skilled Dee-sempai was at French kissing. 
>>>> 
>>>> Luckily for JJ, his rational side wasn't in charge at that moment.
>>>> 
>>>> So, even as JJ's mind reeled and his eyes got impossibly huge, he responded to the kiss. He wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, the part of his mind that was still thinking was beginning to worry about asphyxiation when Dee finally released him...Literally, dropping him back into his chair. Dee grinned, licking his lips. "You're right, it does taste good."
>>>> 
>>>> Something inside JJ snapped. In his head he heard a voice, sounding suspiciously like Danny, that yelled for him not to do anything, but he lunged at Dee, kissing him as fiercely as he'd just been kissed. He vaguely heard Dee's growl, as the other fought back, trying to dominate the kiss. After a few minutes Dee broke the kiss, grabbing JJ by the shirt and pulling him back. They stared at each other for a long moment, hungrily, breathing heavily. JJ's arms were locked around Dee's waist, Dee's fingers tangled in JJ's shirt. Dee leaned forward, and then...
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee jumped, head turning impossibly fast towards the door. "Ryo?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ released Dee, stepping back. He searched the room, but no one else was visible. Then the door opened, and Ryo poked his head in the room. "There you are, Dee. Still working?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shrugged. "I guess."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked. Dee sounded strangely subdued. He walked in, putting a hand up to Dee's forehead. "Are you feeling all right?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grabbed his hand, and looked about ready to go for more, then stopped. Ryo stared, trying to figure out the emotion in Dee's eyes. Dee dropped his hand, walking quickly towards the door. "...I need something to drink."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo simply stood for a moment, utterly confused. Then he looked at JJ, who stared back, face blank. He frowned, his brain trying to tell him something... Then... "Dee! You'd better get back here and finish this paperwork! The chief's already mad at you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "He's always mad over something!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned. How irresponsible... Ignoring the feeling at the back of his mind that something was wrong, he walked out the door after Dee. "Eventually you're going to push him too far. Just finish the paperwork, or he'll make you stay after tomorrow again."
>>>> 
>>>> "Again? No way! One night a week is bad enough."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ listened to their banter as they walked off. He calmly gathered his coat and exited the station. When he reached the road he started running.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Danny hummed happily, taste testing the sauce and checking the noodles. There was something relaxing about cooking, about the way the ingredients all came together to make something that, hopefully, tasted good. "About six minutes, I'd say."
>>>> 
>>>> She glanced up as she heard the door slam open. "Welcome back, Jamie. How was work today?"
>>>> 
>>>> She was unprepared for the sudden rush as JJ ran into the kitchen practically pouncing her. She quickly set the lid back on the noodle pot and grabbed his hand away from the burners. "What's wrong?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai kissed me!
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh, that's ...what?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai kissed me! Twice! Although, technically I kissed him the second time, but..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..." She frowned. "Wait a minute, explain this from the beginning."
>>>> 
>>>> "I went in to see what he was doing, he stayed late because of some paperwork. He wanted me to stay, so I did. He asked me why I had that candy cane, and I told him, and then he kissed me!"
>>>> 
>>>> She blinked. "...Just like that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Just like that!"
>>>> 
>>>> She sighed. "That's far too easy..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I take it this is JJ?" A male voice drawled. JJ blinked, then looked to the side. He sweatdropped as he spotted a man leaning against the fridge, beer in hand. He hadn't even noticed him when he'd come in...
>>>> 
>>>> Danny nodded. "Yeah...So then what?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...Then he let go of me, he'd pulled me out of my chair, and I jumped up and kissed him."
>>>> 
>>>> She made a face. "Jamie!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> She shook her head. "Nevermind..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...then Ryo-sempai walked in."
>>>> 
>>>> She groaned. "Oh god, I can just imagine."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, actually, he didn't really walk in. He gave us a bit of warning..."
>>>> 
>>>> "During which you and Dee hastily pretended nothing had happened?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded, frowning. "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "And after that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, Dee-sempai was acting kind of funny, so Ryo-sempai thought he was sick. But Dee-sempai just brushed him aside and went to get something to drink. Last I saw Ryo-sempai was trying to get Dee-sempai to do his paperwork..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..." Danny groaned, burying her face in his shoulder. "God, that is SO unromantic."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...what do you think it means?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I think it means he's interested." The man offered. "If you want my opinion."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Who are you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Josh, JJ, Jamie, Josh."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh, the cute Italian guy."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yep."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh sweatdropped. "I don't think I'm prepared for you two...Say, is the food done yet?"
>>>> 
>>>> "AHH! My noodles. Jamie, if my food burns because of this..." Danny pushed JJ away, turning back to the stove, pulling the pots off the burners and turning things off. Draining the noodles she sighed in relief. "Just made it...Hungry, Jamie?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ shook his head. "Not really."
>>>> 
>>>> "OK..." She started pulling out plates. "Well, I think that this is definite progress. I mean, just a few days ago you scared him just by entering the room."
>>>> 
>>>> "You really think so?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...But he isn't going to get over Ryo that easily. You've got a long way to go."
>>>> 
>>>> "But he kissed me first!"
>>>> 
>>>> "And he's kissed Ryo how many times?"
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> She patted him on the cheek. "Don't worry. You'll get there...unless, of course, Ryo gets his act together."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh walked up to them, thinking. "I may not know much about this but, I think that, if you really like him, you need to show him that."
>>>> 
>>>> "But-!"
>>>> 
>>>> "No, not by kissing him or whatever. Anyone can kiss someone else. I mean, something that shows him that you really _care_. That it isn't just lust, or whatever."
>>>> 
>>>> "..." JJ thought that over.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny nodded. "I still think you should just get over him but, since you're going to insist, Josh's right. You've been chasing him this whole time, so he knows on some level that you really do care, but you're going to have to show him for yourself."
>>>> 
>>>> "...You two are scary." JJ pointed. "Far too alike."
>>>> 
>>>> They both blinked innocently at him. "Who? Us?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Like I just said!"
>>>> 
>>>> They laughed.
>>>> 
>>>> "Stop that!"
>>>> 
>>>> "But, Jaime..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ahh! Stop! That's creeping me out!"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Danny poked her head into JJ's room. "You should get to sleep."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm...Josh go home already?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "...JJ..."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Yeah..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You did tell them about coming over for dinner, right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...Oops."
>>>> 
>>>> "Jaime!!!"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sighed as he entered the station. He hoped Dee was feeling better today... "Hello, everyone."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hi, Ryo-sempai!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked, and looked around. "Dee isn't here yet?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Not yet."
>>>> 
>>>> "...I see..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ryo-sempai..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny wanted me to be sure to tell you that she wants to invite you all over to dinner. Since you had us over."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo smiled. "Sounds like fun."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Are you getting sick too, JJ? You sound tired."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked at him, then smiled. "No. I'm fine. Just stayed up too late last night."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ah."
>>>> 
>>>> The door opened and Dee walked in. He froze, seeing them together. "A-ahhhhh..."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo smiled. "Hello, Dee. Feeling better."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee nodded slowly.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ's smile widened. "Good morning, Dee-sempai." He chirped.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee almost said something, having obviously come to the conclusion that JJ and Ryo had been talking about things he'd rather they weren't, when Ryo spoke up again. "You're late, you know."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah...well..."
>>>> 
>>>> "First you don't want to finish the work, and now you're late. Are you trying to get fired?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No..." Dee slowly sat down. He couldn't believe it! He'd kissed JJ, that in itself was surprising enough, but now JJ wasn't even gloating about it!...This was unreal. He pinched himself. Something was up. Ryo sat at his own desk, pulling out some work of his own. "You should stop slacking then."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee eyed JJ suspiciously as the other man walked up beside him. JJ merely smiled, and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly. Then he moved on. Dee watched him go, biting his lip. JJ hadn't said anything! He wasn't mad, or gloating, or nothing! He squirmed. Could it be JJ really was being serious about all this?
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo looked over at Dee. "I said, what do you think... about..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee was staring at the door, biting his lip, face troubled. Ryo slowly blinked, looking between Dee and the door. He frowned. Dee and JJ had been standing awfully close last night. "Dee..."
>>>> 
>>>> "What is it, Ryo?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You..."
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Never mind."
>>>> 
>>>> "No. Tell me."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's just..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee stood and slowly walked over, bending over to kiss him. It wasn't one of his usual forceful kisses, somehow sweeter and gentler. Ryo stared as Dee pulled back before he could respond. "Dee?"
>>>> 
>>>> "..." Dee smiled. "You taste better than candy canes." He kissed him again.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sweatdropped. What'd that have to do with...His eyes widened as he remembered that JJ had been eating a candy cane the night before, he'd commented on the strangeness of that himself before he'd left. So Dee had...but... He said...
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned mentally, turning it all over in his mind, wrapping his arms around Dee's neck and kissing him back as he did so. He tasted better then a candy cane? What'd that mean?
>>>> 
>>>> _It means, stupid, that he likes you best._
>>>> 
>>>> That's nice...
>>>> 
>>>> _But, by saying he likes you _best_, he admits that he likes JJ too._
>>>> 
>>>> Somehow, Ryo didn't find that thought nearly as appealing.


	5. Of Dinner Parties and Murder

False Impressions 5

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. Laura, Josh, Danny and Sean are mine, but the others belong to people who are not me. Lucky them...
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in Italics are thoughts. Comments in [ ] are from me, and have no point in the story, really.
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Don't care what people say  
Just follow your own way  
Don't give up and use the chance  
To return to innocence
>>>> 
>>>> Enigma 'Return to innocence'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Dee jumped as the door behind him slammed open. Turning he was greeted by a pouncing JJ, who latched his arms around his neck. "Dee-semPAI!"
>>>> 
>>>> "AHH! JJ!" Dee gaped down at the cop, who, instead of the deathgrip he usually used, had settled for an easily broken hold. "W-what do you want?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ grinned and held up...a candy cane. "You said you liked 'em, so I brought some in!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh. Well...uhh...thanks."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ let him go, unwrapping one of the candies and popping it in Dee's mouth. "See. Good, aren't they?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee glared at him, looking absurd with the cane still sticking out of his mouth. He pulled it out, glaring at the laughing JJ. "What're you laughing at?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You just look so...glaring around that..." JJ dissolved into laughter again. Dee growled and grabbed at him, playfully swatting him in the side. "Laugh at me, will ya?"
>>>> 
>>>> "AHH! Dee-sempai, no tickling! No fair!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo, forgotten in the background, felt his eye twitch and his anger rising. "JJ, omae..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Jealous, aren't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> He jumped, and turned to find Danny practically nose to nose with him. "D-Danny?!"
>>>> 
>>>> She winked at him, sitting on the edge of one of the desks. "You're jealous of Jamie..." She laughed quietly.
>>>> 
>>>> "What's so funny about that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Just a week ago, he was jealous of you. Kind of ironic, huh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "He was...Well..." Ryo trailed off, flustered.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny waved a finger at him. "No getting all flustered about it now. After all, it is your fault. All you need to do to get Dee-san all to yourself is admit you like him...although..." She glanced over at JJ and Dee, who were now trying to out-tickle each other. "It may be getting more complicated then that now."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sighed. "Well, it's not like I can just come out and say...HEY! What're you doing, saying things like that!" He glared, blushing.
>>>> 
>>>> She shrugged. "It's the truth, isn't it?...Anyway, I wanted to know if you all wanted to come over for dinner tonight."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sweatdropped. "What a twisted invitation."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hush...Anyway, interested? I know JJ'll be asking Dee-san any second here."
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course!"
>>>> 
>>>> "If Dee-san goes, right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I think it's a good idea."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo and Danny blinked at the speaker, who'd appeared unnoticed to hop into Danny's lap. "B-Bikky?"
>>>> 
>>>> The brawl in the background paused. "Bikky?" Dee was incredulous. "What're you doing he-AH!"
>>>> 
>>>> They all turned to see JJ pinning Dee against the wall, holding his hands over his head. "I win!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee quickly kissed him, pausing JJ to start and relax a little. Dee used that opportunity to turn the tables, pinning JJ. Ryo hissed, clenching a fist so tight he broke his pencil. Danny sighed. "Much more complicated."
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky eyed JJ and Dee for a minute, then leaned back and cuddled up against Danny. "Hmph."
>>>> 
>>>> *WHOCK**WHOCK*
>>>> 
>>>> Dee and JJ both glared down at Bikky, who was holding his head. "That hurt! You didn't both have to hit me!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't do that!" They yelled as one.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed, hopping off the desk. "Well, I've got to be leaving. I'll see you all later."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo watched her leave, as Bikky and Dee started fighting in the background. "But you didn't tell us what time?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh? You live here?" Bikky stared at the rather worn-looking apartment building before them. "I'd expect that of you, JJ, but not Danny."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
>>>> 
>>>> "..." They entered the building, Bikky archly ignoring JJ. Cramming into the old elevator they went straight to the top floor. Exiting Ryo blinked. "Araa? Only one apartment?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm." JJ smirked at Bikky.
>>>> 
>>>> He pushed open the door and they stepped inside. Dee peered around. "Nice place."
>>>> 
>>>> The apartment took up the whole floor, with large open windows opposite the entrance and pale wood flooring. Three closed doors led off into other rooms from a large, combined living/dining room and an open door led to a kitchen. Bikky ran up to the couch in front of the TV. "Very nice."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned. "Take your shoes off, Bikky."
>>>> 
>>>> "Fine, fine..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny wandered out of the kitchen, another woman behind her. Ryo and Dee assessed the woman quickly. She was wearing a suit, tall with green eyes and braided red hair. Danny gestured to her. "This is Laura. I'd be lost without her. She's my assistant, and does all the things I'm too busy goofing off to do."
>>>> 
>>>> Laura smiled at her, then turned back to them. "Jamie, remember, you have to work early tomorrow. No getting drunk."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes ma'am."
>>>> 
>>>> Laura headed for the door. "I have to go. Late for an appointment." She looked Ryo and Dee over and smiled. "I'll see you later, gentlemen."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny grinned as Laura left. "You're lucky she was leaving, or you'd've gotten The Test."
>>>> 
>>>> "The Test?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ nodded. "Laura always tests Danny's friends."
>>>> 
>>>> "They'd be safe. She only actually tests my boyfriends. Well, and you."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh..." He paused, thinking. "Why was she here anyway? Don't tell me she was testing _him?_"
>>>> 
>>>> "OK. I won't then."
>>>> 
>>>> Everyone, except Danny, jumped at the sudden intrusion. JJ glared at the man standing in the doorway. "What're _you_ doing here?"
>>>> 
>>>> Josh pouted and held up a bag. "Danny sent me to get some last-minute groceries."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Ummm..." Carol blinked. "Who's this?"
>>>> 
>>>> Josh grinned. "I'm Josh. Josh Raven...Eh? Laura's gone?" He made a face. "And she was so nice too."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ glared. "..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny beamed. "Josh, this is Randy-san, Dee-san, Carol and Bikky."
>>>> 
>>>> "Nice to meet you...Where should I drop these?"
>>>> 
>>>> "On the counter, with everything else. I hope you all like hamburgers?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sounds good to me." Carol smiled. "Can I help?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Thanks. That'd be great."
>>>> 
>>>> "I'll help too." Ryo offered.
>>>> 
>>>> "Do you need me to do anything?" Dee asked.
>>>> 
>>>> "That'll be OK Dee. The three of us can handle it. Keep order out here, would you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sure." He grinned. "Anything for the pretty girl."
>>>> 
>>>> "Or guy." She winked.
>>>> 
>>>> Josh sweatdropped. "Do you know any straight people?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hey, I'm straight!" Bikky protested.
>>>> 
>>>> "Me too!" Carol refused to be left out.
>>>> 
>>>> "...Over the age of 18."
>>>> 
>>>> "..." Danny thought. "Actually..."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. "Isn't Laura straight?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Laura doesn't count...Other than her, no."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh shook his head. "You people are all very strange."
>>>> 
>>>> "But that's what makes us so interesting!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Perhaps..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Umm... Shouldn't we start cooking?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Dinner was eaten, the dishes were soaking, so everyone was lounging around the TV eating chips and watching Football. Danny and Josh were sprawled in one of the large chairs, Bikky and Carol inhabited the other, and Dee was between JJ and Ryo on the couch. Dee, who actually liked Football enough to be watching the game with interest, kept missing the frowns and stares JJ and Ryo threw each other, as they inched closer to him. Danny was ignoring them, for once, trying to figure Football out. She'd never actually watched a game before, so didn't understand any of the rules. Josh was trying to help her out, despite not knowing much about the game himself. Bikky was half-heartedly watching the game, as Carol read a book she'd grabbed from Danny's collection.
>>>> 
>>>> "He fumbled it?" Dee gaped at the TV. "How could he fumble that? It went straight to him!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny was totally lost. "What's going on here? They're just running around hitting each other and dropping the ball."
>>>> 
>>>> "That's the problem. They're supposed to hold onto it." Josh shrugged.
>>>> 
>>>> "...This sport's stupid."
>>>> 
>>>> "I know."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee stood, grumbling. He walked off to the kitchen, leaving JJ and Ryo to stare each other down. "I need a beer."
>>>> 
>>>> Sparks flew as JJ and Ryo tried to out glare each other. Bikky and Danny, bored with the game, watched with wide eyes. "Scary..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee returned a minute later, carrying three beers. He tossed one each to Ryo and JJ, sitting back down between them. JJ locked his arms around Dee's neck as Ryo sputtered. Dee snorted, turning and falling back so he was lying tucked under JJ's chin, Ryo held against him. Ryo smiled, closing his eyes, wrapping his arms around Dee's waist.
>>>> 
>>>> "Aww..." Danny cooed. "How cute!"
>>>> 
>>>> Bikky snorted. "You look like you're falling off the chair."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny, who did indeed look as if her continued presence on the edge of the chair was a rebellion against gravity, made a face at him. "I'm comfy, thank you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I'm not complaining." Josh had one arm wrapped around her to steady her, the other held his beer.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo was going to say something when he felt JJ poke him in the neck. He squirmed to get away from the fingers and to glare up at JJ. Instead of JJ, however, he faced Dee. "What's up Ryo? Somethin' wrong?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Uhh...No..."
>>>> 
>>>> _Nothing's _wrong_, really. It's just that you're totally, unbelievably sexy when you look through your bangs at me like that..._
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blushed. Where'd _that _thought come from?
>>>> 
>>>> _Wasn't me, this time._ The old voice said. _Might it be...hormones?_
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sighed. He was going insane and the voices in his head were taunting him.
>>>> 
>>>> "O-ho? What's this?" Dee grinned. "Ryo's blushing."
>>>> 
>>>> "I am not!" he turned even redder.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ snickered. "Ryo-sempai, you look like a tomato."
>>>> 
>>>> "I do not!" Ryo fumed.
>>>> 
>>>> "It's cute." Dee pronounced. JJ immediately stopped laughing.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo frowned. "It is not cute! I am not blushing!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I know a way to remedy that!" Dee proclaimed, then pulled Ryo closer and kissed him.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo struggled weakly for a moment, then relaxed into the kiss. Josh sweatdropped, JJ looked fit to kill, Danny sighed, and Bikky...
>>>> 
>>>> Well, Bikky, being Bikky, hopped off the chair, walked over to the couch and nailed Dee in the knee with a kick. Dee cursed, attempting to reach for Bikky and grab at his ankle at once. Since he was all entangled with Ryo and JJ, this had some rather interesting contortional affects. Josh's sweatdrop grew. "...I think I better be going?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Already?" Danny smirked knowingly at him. He nodded helplessly. "I... have a busy day tomorrow?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sure..." She stood. "I'll go get your coat."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo managed to extricate himself from the mess. "We should be going too."
>>>> 
>>>> "Already?" Bikky and Carol protested.
>>>> 
>>>> "You two have school. And I have to work."
>>>> 
>>>> "No fair!"
>>>> 
>>>> Danny hmmed. "Well, I suppose this is a good time to break everything up. You all are free to come back whenever you want."
>>>> 
>>>> "Really?" Bikky and Carol chorused, little faces excited.
>>>> 
>>>> "As long as you warn us." JJ qualified.
>>>> 
>>>> "Where's the fun in that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Bikky..." Ryo warned.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned at Danny. "Had fun. We'll be back, don't worry."
>>>> 
>>>> "Good." She smiled. "Jamie, help me get them their coats."
>>>> 
>>>> "OK."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh and JJ locked gazes for a minute, and both frowned. Danny, going off to get Josh his coat, completely ignored the frosty stares being exchanged. Returning she handed Josh and Ryo their coats, whacking JJ on the arm. "You aren't being much help."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ shrugged, wandering off to get the rest of the coats. Dee hmmmed, and leaned over to whisper in Ryo's ear. "Wonder why JJ doesn't like Josh..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't know. You think he might be jealous?"
>>>> 
>>>> "She didn't say anything about him not liking her other boyfriends..."
>>>> 
>>>> "True..." Ryo shrugged. "Doesn't really matter though, now does it."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shook his head. "I can't help but think it does." He watched as Danny said goodbye to Josh, smiling happily. "Something's going on here, and I don't like it..."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Someone was knocking...
>>>> 
>>>> Danny pulled her pillow over her head, closing her eyes, trying to will the annoying noise away. When it didn't cease, and possibly grew even more frantic, she turned to whining. "Jaaaamiiiieeee!!!" She ignored the fact JJ was probably asleep too, and unlikely to hear her. "Get the damn doooooor! Jaaaaaamiiiiiieeeeee!"
>>>> 
>>>> Nothing...
>>>> 
>>>> "DAMMIT! Jamie! That's it, no breakfast for you." Throwing off her covers Danny stumbled sleepily towards the door. "Who the hell dare disturbs me at this ungodly hour of..." She eyed the clock. "SIX AM! Shit! This better be good."
>>>> 
>>>> Pulling the door open she was almost run over by Sean. She stared as he stumbled in, hair and clothing wild. Sean was even more fussy about his own appearance than he was about hers, she'd never have guessed that his hair or clothing would even dare look so slept-in and worn, even in the privacy of his own home. "What's going on?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Didn't you _hear_?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I had dinner with friends last night until almost 11, I didn't hear much of any news."
>>>> 
>>>> "It happened around midnight, actually." He jumped up, grabbing her in a hug. "Thank god you're all right, I've been calling all morning!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean, it's six am. I'm never up this early. You know that."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes, but...but... I figured that _Jaime_ at least would be...since he's so... you know."
>>>> 
>>>> "So what?"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean coughed, muttering something that sounding like 'overprotective'. "So you really have no idea what happened last night?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No, I really don't. What happened?"
>>>> 
>>>> "...The murderer struck again."
>>>> 
>>>> "Aw, hell, that's bad. But people die all the time in New York, why'd you try beating down my door over it?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny, he killed Sarah."
>>>> 
>>>> "All right, so he...Sarah?! _Our _Sarah?"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean nodded, face serious. "They found her this morning, with her throat cut. Said it happened around midnight."
>>>> 
>>>> "That still doesn't explain why you rushed over here. Shouldn't you be at the studio?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Bill called me. He was scared to death, since you weren't answering your phone or pages or anything."
>>>> 
>>>> "I was asleep."
>>>> 
>>>> "How can you be so calm?" Sean looked on the edge of a heart attack. "Some psycho is going around killing models, and he killed _Sarah_, and you're wondering why I'm here?"
>>>> 
>>>> She sighed. "Sean, sweetie, no-"
>>>> 
>>>> "Jamie can't protect you from everything! What if they knock him out?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Never gonna happen." She was adamant. "...Look, you're a mess. You need some sleep, OK?"
>>>> 
>>>> "But..."
>>>> 
>>>> She guided him over to the couch. "Here, I'll go get some more pillows and a blanket. You sleep here today. That way, if anyone tries to get in, you'll know, OK?"
>>>> 
>>>> He considered that, then relaxed a little. "All right..."
>>>> 
>>>> She quickly set up the couch and put him to bed. After he fell asleep she walked over to the nearest door, opened it, and stepped inside.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ started as she sat beside him on his bed. "Nnn? Wha?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sarah's dead..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny? Wha...oh...Who was at the door."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean. I put him on the couch. He was scared half to death."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm...Well...I suppose this is kind of a good thing, in a way."
>>>> 
>>>> "How?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No one from the same agency's ever been hit twice."
>>>> 
>>>> "But..."
>>>> 
>>>> He pulled her down onto the bed, spooning up behind her. "Don't worry, Danny. I won't let anything happen to you."
>>>> 
>>>> She smiled and nodded. "I know..."
>>>> 
>>>> They lay in silence a few minute, drifting off to sleep, until Danny couldn't resist but say. "Unless, of course, Dee-san asks you to."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mm. I dunno...but..." JJ buried his face in her hair. "He won't. So we don't have to worry, now do we?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No. I guess we don't."
>>>> 
>>>> End pt 5


	6. Misunderstandings and Makingup

False Impressions 6

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. ;_; Other then Danny, Josh, Sean and Laura.. If you want to give Dee to me though, I'll be MORE then happy to take him off your hands *hentai grin* 
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are meant to entertain. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something.
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Alcohol, your songs resolve, like my life never will...  
When someone else is picking up the bill...  
I love you more  
Than I did the week before  
I discovered alcohol
>>>> 
>>>> Barenaked Ladies 'Alcohol'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Dee sat in the office, searching through papers and folders, grumbling to himself. "Where the hell did JJ leave that?"
>>>> 
>>>> The NY cop was currently searching for the folder that contained the information about the murder cases. Somehow JJ had managed to get all the information one could want on the victims, crime scene and evidence analysis in his own greedy little hands and then had, just to annoy him, Dee was sure, hidden it. "What kind of an idiot is he, losing something like this. That moron ought to-"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmmm? What's wrong, Dee-sempai?"
>>>> 
>>>> "YEEEE!" Dee jumped, spinning to face JJ. "Oh, it's you... You scared me!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Sorry. Didn't you hear me come in?"
>>>> 
>>>> "No..." Dee called upon his vast amount of tact and knowledge of subtlety to broach a matter that was obviously annoying him. "JJ, you look like shit. Didn't you sleep?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. Ahh, his Dee-sempai. So tactful. "Yes, I did. But Danny's been scared stiff all afternoon and is trying to hide that from Sean."
>>>> 
>>>> "Who's Sean?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Her make-up guy."
>>>> 
>>>> "Oh."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee peered around. "Where is she?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...like I said, she was all upset. Then she got more upset, because she could tell I was getting stressed out because she was hiding that she was upset from Sean and thus I had to help her deal with it. So she called in Laura."
>>>> 
>>>> "...You people're strange."
>>>> 
>>>> "I know..."
>>>> 
>>>> "What makes you think Laura can handle it?"
>>>> 
>>>> "She's a trained fighter and I taught her to shoot myself."
>>>> 
>>>> "A fighter? For an assistant?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Actually, she's Danny's bodyguard too. We just don't like people knowing it so we've gotten in the habit of calling her an assistant. She doesn't mind. She does assistant stuff too, with Sean."
>>>> 
>>>> "You people are even stranger then I thought. So...It's you, Danny, Laura the bodyguard assistant and Sean the make-up guy assistant?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Anyway, what're you doing in my desk, Dee-sempai?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Looking for that folder on the murders you had." He punched JJ lightly in the shoulder. "Why'd you hide it from me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I didn't hide it from you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, I can't find it!"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sighed, reached into a small stack of folders he had on his desk and pulled out one. "You mean, this one?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes!" Dee eyed the pile. "It wasn't in there before!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Of course not. What'd you want to know?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Mmm, just wanted to see if this made any patterns. Why're you here, anyway?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I wanted to get the information on Sarah and to pick up the folder. I'm going home after this."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm...I'm going with you."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ's heart stopped. "Pardon me?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee continued looking through the file, barely noticing him. "I'm going home with you."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blissed out for a moment. Dee wanted to go back home with him.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee finally looked up. "Gotta make sure...Ahhh, JJ?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes, Dee-sempai!"
>>>> 
>>>> "You look strange. Are you feverish? Better get you in bed."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ's mind immediately conjured several interesting possibilities involving Dee-sempai, himself, and a bed. "Uhhhh..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee set the folder down, putting a hand on JJ's forehead. "You don't feel feverish..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I...uh...I guess not..." JJ weakly replied. He really needed to calm down...at least stop thinking about Dee and beds! Urg, that didn't help...Umm...must think about something totally unsexy!...The chief, yes, the chief! He was about as unsexy as they came. JJ, feeling that at last he could open his eyes without blushing or glomping Dee, did so.
>>>> 
>>>> He almost immediately screamed and staggered backwards, losing his balance totally. Dee, surprised, reached out to catch him, only to be dragged off balance as well. He managed to catch a hold of the edge of the desk with one hand before they landed on the floor, however, the other holding JJ up.
>>>> 
>>>> At that precise moment fate, the meddlesome bastard it is, decided to have some fun. The door opened. Someone took a few steps inside then stopped. The room froze.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ shivered. It wasn't everyday that a room dropped about ten degrees in a minute. He yelped as Dee hauled him to his feet, and looked at the door. Whoever had entered must be carrying a load of dry ice, or something.
>>>> 
>>>> No such luck.
>>>> 
>>>> "Ryo?!" Dee blinked. "What're you doing here?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo's glare turned on Dee. JJ was surprised his sempai didn't immediately turn into a icicle [Heee! Sempai-pop! n.n] Ryo then sniffed and, without saying a word, exited, slamming the door behind him.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee groaned. "Aww, shit."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ sweatdropped. Now was not the time to annoy his sempai further, even about the going home thing. He frowned, looking around. The room still wasn't warm, could Ryo-sempai have been angry enough to chill it permanently?  
Once again, no such luck. He would've been much happier if it that had been the case.
>>>> 
>>>> Standing in another doorway [Err...the office has two doors now. n.n;;; Authors license. Or did it have 2 before? Hmm....] was an extremely pissed-off Danny, a totally confused Sean, and Josh, who was also confused. He blinked. Now why was Danny mad? He walked over, totally missing Dee running after Ryo. "What's wrong, Danny?"
>>>> 
>>>> She sniffed. "Nevermind." Her voice was only a few degrees warmer then the room. "I'm going out to lunch. I'll see you, alone, for dinner." She stressed that alone strangely, frowned at him some more, then walked off. Josh grinned at JJ, then walked after her. Sean hung around a moment, looking confused. "What's wrong with her?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hell if i know."
>>>> 
>>>> "She doesn't like your boyfriend, huh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "That guy. I mean, he's obviously interested in that other guy, the one who burst in."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ fumed. Now *Sean* was telling him about who Dee-sempai was interested in? He didn't even know Dee's name!
>>>> 
>>>> Sean winced, stepping back from the look on JJ's face. "Don't get me wrong, man. I mean, it's not your fault. He just likes the other guy, right? or he wouldn't've gone running after him."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ checked. Sure enough, Dee-sempai was gone.
>>>> 
>>>> Sean patted him on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Jamie. You'll find another guy. It's not worth fighting for one who's got his mind set on someone else."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ stared at Sean. No one, except Danny, called him Jamie. Not even Laura.
>>>> 
>>>> Sean winked. "I better run or they'll leave without me. Just remember, dump him before he dumps you. It's easier to take that way..." He turned to leave, but paused, voice suddenly sympathetic. "I've been where you are, Jamie. You're better off moving on." He waved over his shoulder. "Later. See you at dinner." And he ran off.
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. Sean was in a strange mood today, if he was giving out relationship advice. Normally he left that to Danny, pronouncing his lack of lovelife evidence he wasn't suitable help. He shook his head, then walked back to his desk. He still hadn't gotten the information he wanted. He'd figure Danny out later.
>>>> 
>>>> Picking up the folder he looked through the papers, eyes focusing suddenly on the same one they had earlier. Snatching it up he quickly read through it, cursed, and ran out the door. _Danny!_
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo stalked down the hallway to the exit, mind reeling. It was Dee's fault! Dee, not JJ! He clenched his fists angrily. He'd been blaming JJ for everything, when it was... He should've known, Dee had been too accepting of JJ recently.
>>>> 
>>>> Blinking away angry tears he spun to face Dee, who was running up behind him. "Why're _you_ here?" He asked coldly. "Shouldn't you still be with JJ? He'll probably be mad you ran off?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Huh?" Dee was confused. "JJ?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo growled. The inconsiderate bastard, he wasn't even thinking about JJ, even though... "Well, what do you want?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I want to know what's wrong? Why're you so mad?"
>>>> 
>>>> "That should be pretty damn obvious."
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?" Comprehension finally dawned. "Oh!....Ryo, he fell! I had to catch him."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sure. Just had to catch him and I just happened to walk in?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...yeah, actually. That's a rather pathetic excuse."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's the truth!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Why were you talking to him anyway?" Ryo wasn't about to forgive him that easily.
>>>> 
>>>> "I wanted that file on the murders he had."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "And I wanted to go home with him after the shift ended."
>>>> 
>>>> *WHAM*
>>>> 
>>>> Dee, now on the floor, gaped up at Ryo, who stalked off. Ryo punched him! Ryo'd never hit him before, not seriously! What the hell was going on?
>>>> 
>>>> He yelled at the disappearing figure. "What the hell's wrong with wanting to check on Danny? Shit..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You wanted to check on me? Aww, that's so sweet!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee turned his head and, sure enough, there was Danny. "When'd you get here?"
>>>> 
>>>> "It's magic." Josh answered. "Say her name and she appears to gossip and meddle."
>>>> 
>>>> She hit him on the shoulder. "Shush you." She stared at the bruise on Dee's cheek. "That's nasty. What happened?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Ryo hit me!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?!" She looked shocked. "Why? Because of JJ?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You saw that."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh grinned. "She sees everything...I guess this means lunch is canceled."
>>>> 
>>>> She nodded. "Of course." She helped Dee up. "Let's go get an ice pack on that and you tell me what really happened."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh sighed as they walked off. "My girlfriend ditched me for her gay friend's romantic troubles...what the hell've I gotten myself into?"
>>>> 
>>>> Shaking his head he walked towards the exit, waving as he spotted Sean rushing the same way. "Hey!"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean paused, then turned and stopped. "Josh? Where's Danny?"
>>>> 
>>>> Josh sighed melodramatically. "She abandoned me to take care of Dee and help heal the wounds from this fiasco."
>>>> 
>>>> "Huh? Dee?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yep. The center of this whole sordid love...something. I'm not sure of the shape anymore."
>>>> 
>>>> "JJ's boyfriend?"
>>>> 
>>>> Josh snorted. "JJ only wishes. Dee likes Ryo. The guy who stalked off you know? JJ's got the crush on Dee who, as far as I can tell, ain't sure what to do with him..."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean pondered that. "So...then, what happened back there was..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah. I feel like I've been sucked into a bad soap opera."
>>>> 
>>>> They both jumped out of the way as JJ nearly ran them over, racing down the hallways. "Wait up, man! You could hurt someone like that."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ skidded to a stop, pointing at Josh. "You!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes, you!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What'd I do?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ thrust the paper in his hands into Josh's. "This!"
>>>> 
>>>> Josh blinked and read it. "What's this? A murder case?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Look at the suspects!"
>>>> 
>>>> He read it aloud. "Top suspects, Josh and Brett Raven."
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?" Sean took the paper. "Murder?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Apparently."
>>>> 
>>>> "You're also a suspect in a dozen other murders too!"
>>>> 
>>>> "That many? Wow, I'm popular."
>>>> 
>>>> "This isn't a joke."
>>>> 
>>>> "No. Nor could I have done that. I was eating dinner with Danny."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean frowned. "Who's Brett?"
>>>> 
>>>> "My brother."
>>>> 
>>>> "Where was he?" JJ was obviously determined to get Josh somehow.
>>>> 
>>>> "How should I know? I was eating. I hadn't seen him all day."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ glared. 'I'll get you eventually."
>>>> 
>>>> Josh shrugged. "Maybe...but until then." With a small wave he left. "Bye-bye."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmmm... I'm a bit surprised. Although...If you think about it, he does kind of have that hitman look about him."
>>>> 
>>>> "How can you be so calm about this?" JJ exploded.
>>>> 
>>>> Sean held up his hands defensively. "Calm down. If he was going to hurt Danny he would've already."
>>>> 
>>>> "But!"
>>>> 
>>>> "She really likes him, you know. You're being awfully childish about this whole thing."
>>>> 
>>>> "Who's childish? I don't like him."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean rolled up the paper and tapped him on the head with it. "That's what's so childish, JJ."
>>>> 
>>>> "I won't let him hurt Danny!"
>>>> 
>>>> "He isn't going to, JJ. So he's an assassin. The guy in this case was a criminal anyway. Very different."
>>>> 
>>>> "It isn't different at all."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean sighed. "There's just no talking to you, is there..." He blinked. "Wait... If dinner's canceled..." He grinned. "Later, JJ!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Where're you going?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Going to see if Laura's free."
>>>> 
>>>> "What about dinner with Danny?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Canceled... She went off to help take care of that Dee guy."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dee-sempai? Where?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't know."
>>>> 
>>>> He sweatdropped as JJ ran off and muttered after him. "Not that I'd tell you even if I did..." He eyed the paper in his hands, and set it down on a nearby desk. "Seems this soap opera's getting a bit more interesting."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "So he hit you for no reason?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah! I just said I wanted to go home with JJ after the shift to see you."
>>>> 
>>>> "Umm...are you sure you said the part about seeing me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Uhh..." Dee thought, then sweatdropped. "...That's a reason, isn't it?"
>>>> 
>>>> She nodded slowly.
>>>> 
>>>> "Damn!"
>>>> 
>>>> She thought a bit. "OK, the first thing we have to do is get you in to see him again. He's at home, right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah...But he won't let me in. He always locks the door when he's pissed."
>>>> 
>>>> She sweatdropped. "You've done this enough to know that?...Nevermind. OK, we have to get you in and Bikky out..."
>>>> 
>>>> He made a face. "Bikky... He won't leave easily."
>>>> 
>>>> She winked. "Oh yes, he will..."
>>>> 
>>>> "What're you planning?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Who says I'm planning anything?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You have that look on your face."
>>>> 
>>>> "Mmm. Never mind. Anyway..." She pulled out her cell phone and paused. "Do you happen to know Carol's number?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> "Bye bye, Ryo!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo looked up from his book. "Where're you going, Bikky?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Carol's! She wants to have dinner with me!" He raced out the door. Ryo sighed. Alone again...
>>>> 
>>>> He stared down at his book for a long moment, then tossed it aside. He simply couldn't seem to concentrate. He frowned. _This shouldn't be bothering me so much. So what if Dee likes JJ?_
>>>> 
>>>> Jealous?  
Him?  
Of Dee?
>>>> 
>>>> Impossible... He sighed, no matter what he wanted to believe, it seemed that he was jealous, at least a little.
>>>> 
>>>> _Why?  
Because...  
You want him all to yourself?_
>>>> 
>>>> _...Yes._
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked, wondering where that thought had come from. He didn't really want Dee for himself...did he? He wasn't gay!...Was he?
>>>> 
>>>> He jumped as someone knocked on the door and sighed. Of course, Dee. He'd probably run over after his shift was done. Ignoring the knocking, which was quieter then Dee's usual, he went to make himself some tea.
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmmm... Guess he already left. Should've called ahead."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo paused, eyeing the door. That wasn't Dee's voice! Walking over to it he peered out the peephole to see Danny making a face. He opened the door, and got hit on the head.
>>>> 
>>>> "What were you doing, making us wait like that?" Dee yelled at him. Danny sweatdropped.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo glared at Dee. "What do you want?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shivered as Danny replied. "Well, actually, we were wondering if you and Bikky wanted to go out to dinner."
>>>> 
>>>> "Dinner?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah." She smiled. "I was lucky enough to come to the station in time to catch Dee, he was going to come home with JJ later to see how things were going, and we decided to go out and eat. Josh and everyone was busy, so I figured we should ask you and Bikky."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blinked. _Dee was planning on going back to check on Danny? He hadn't been going back because...?_ "Ahh, well..."
>>>> 
>>>> "You ate already, didn't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes, sorry."
>>>> 
>>>> "No fair... well then, how about we go out to a bar?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Me and Dee can get something to eat and we can all get drunk." She winked. "Sounds fun to me."
>>>> 
>>>> "Me too." Dee voted.
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed. "Why'm I not surprised?... Well? Randy-san?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm... I guess so..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Great. Know any good bars around here?"
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo didn't normally drink, not much. Even when he was out with the guy he tried to keep his head, kept down later embarrassment. He'd had an extremely trying day, however, and didn't work till late the next evening plus he was sure that he'd probably end up embarrassed drunk or not, Danny and Dee had that effect on him. So, he decided to follow Dee's example and get drunk out of his mind. Or, at least, that's what he'd planned...
>>>> 
>>>> "No way."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo glared. Danny glared back.
>>>> 
>>>> He reached for the bottle and growled as she slapped his hand away. She shook her head. "You need to learn the proper way to drink. You don't drink until you pass out on the floor. You drink until you get that nice, pleasant buzz."
>>>> 
>>>> "One more isn't going to knock me out."
>>>> 
>>>> "There's more to it than that though. You gotta stop before you lose all your inhibitions, otherwise bad things tend to happen, like throwing up on people and singing really, really badly. And then your friends can blackmail you."
>>>> 
>>>> "So...The proper stopping point is when your feeling good but not that good, right?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Right. The point where, if a friend mistakes you for their boyfriend and kisses you, you sputter protests but don't feel all embarrassed."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo sweatdropped. "That's a weird example."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean's a weird kind of guy.'
>>>> 
>>>> "You mean, this isn't your idea of the stopping point?"
>>>> 
>>>> "It is, but I got it from Sean. I never used to drink."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why not?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Didn't have any guy friends and getting drunk with a bunch of models in a bar isn't really a good idea."
>>>> 
>>>> "... I see."
>>>> 
>>>> "What about you?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo made a face. "He stopped when he ran out of alcohol or passed out."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed as Dee protested. "I did not!"
>>>> 
>>>> "You did too! When we were drinking in England you drank almost all the wine then fell asleep."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny grinned. "Dee's a sleepy drunk!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Not as sleepy as you though. I remember last time we drank. You were wasted."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny laughed nervously. "Well...That was then. I had a little too much."
>>>> 
>>>> "Really."
>>>> 
>>>> "Hey! Are you making fun of me?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned. "What's it seem like?"
>>>> 
>>>> She stuck her tongue out at him, then poured the rest of the bottle into her glass. "All right, after this we better go. I'm about ready to go back and demand a couple more of these, and then we'll both be asleep and Randy-san'll probably ditch us."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee laughed and poked Ryo. "You would, wouldn't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Maybe..."
>>>> 
>>>> Danny downed the shot in one go as Dee headlocked Ryo, complaining about how cruel he was. "OK, let's go." She stood and snatched her coat.
>>>> 
>>>> They trooped out the door, not even wobbling or stumbling too much. They headed back towards Ryo's place, since it was close and Dee didn't want to risk running into JJ by going to Danny's place. Once they arrived at Ryo's, however, Danny excused herself to go back home, since it was getting pretty late.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee looked at Ryo, who turned away and started cleaning up a bit. Dee made a face. "You're still mad, huh?"
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why the hell're you so mad anyway? JJ?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo glared at him. Dee grinned. "Oh, so that's it! You're jealous!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I am not."
>>>> 
>>>> "Then what the hell is wrong with you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Nothing's is wrong with me."
>>>> 
>>>> "Then why're you so mad?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Because..."
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Because you shouldn't be playing with JJ like that. If you like him, tell him, if not..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee laughed. "You're one to talk!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What's that supposed to mean?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You wouldn't be able to tell me if I liked you or not if both our lives depended on it!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo fumed. "The hell I wouldn't!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Fine then! What _do_ you feel?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Ehhh..." He'd walked right into that one.
>>>> 
>>>> "See?" Dee made a disgusted noise. "I'm beginning to wonder if you'll ever get a clue. I can't sit around waiting for you forever."
>>>> 
>>>> "What do you mean by that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I mean that you should figure your own damn life out! You just sit around acting as if life'll wait for you!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo glared but he couldn't exactly respond to that.
>>>> 
>>>> "Ryo, either you care about me or you don't. You already know I care about you." Dee was dead serious, voice low. "I want to know, now!, whether you want me around or if I should just walk out that door and not bother coming back."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo's mouth opened, but he said nothing. He stared at the floor, quiet.
>>>> 
>>>> Dee was silent as well, for a moment, then cursed. "Shit, Ryo! Haven't you even thought about it?"
>>>> 
>>>> _Yeah. Far too often. But...  
I...  
I'm afraid!  
I'm afraid you don't really care about me. I'm afraid to tell you that I do care...I'm afraid you won't want to be with me anymore. I'm afraid that you'll leave me._
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shook his head, picked up his coat. "Goodbye, Ryo."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Don't!!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee jumped. He hadn't expected to suddenly speak, much less so loudly. He turned and gaped. Ryo was crying. "Wha-"
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't leave me alone!...Please, don't..." Ryo lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Dee's neck and burying his face in his neck. "Don't leave..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee sighed, wrapping his arms around Ryo. "I guess this counts as an answer, huh?" No response. He tightened his grip. "Don't worry. I won't leave."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Promise?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee pulled Ryo back, looking him in the eye. "I promise, Ryo, that I won't leave." He kissed him lightly. "I won't die before you do."
>>>> 
>>>> Tears welled up in Ryo's eyes again, but this time he kissed Dee. Dee blinked. _Mental note, Ryo is an aggressive drunk..._ He hid a mental grin as Ryo's kisses grew hungrier, more intense. _What do you know, he does have a sex drive!_
>>>> 
>>>> He blinked as Ryo pushed him up against the wall, one hand falling to work on his shirt buttons. _Hey! Wait a minute here, this isn't the way it's supposed to go!_...A voice in the back of his mind laughed, commented that he'd gotten himself in this situation and made a few ecchi suggestions about enjoying the ride... His train of thought was broken, however, by a loud tearing sound. "Ryo! My shirt!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Shush."
>>>> 
>>>> "What do you mean, shush? You ripped my shirt!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo growled and bit him on the neck. "Be quiet..."
>>>> 
>>>> "How'm I supposed to be quiet when you're...ahh...Ryo..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee wasn't exactly quiet. But he did stop protesting.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo woke up to pitch darkness. He made a face, looking around for the clock. 3 am? He sighed and shifted. Something must've woken him up.
>>>> 
>>>> He blinked as he realized someone was sleeping beside him, literally breathing down his neck. It wasn't Bikky, he could tell that much...Actually, he could tell quite a bit, since neither he nor the other person was wearing any clothing. He searched his memory, trying to figure out what'd happened the night before. He hadn't gotten that drunk, had he?
>>>> 
>>>> Aw, hell!
>>>> 
>>>> Apparently he'd gotten drunk enough. He'd...And Dee had...He turned a bright red, nosebleed threatening. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
>>>> 
>>>> The voice in the back of his head offered a number of extremely interesting suggestions at that point.
>>>> 
>>>> His blush deepened somehow. Nonono!...Although...Dee hadn't really protested, except about his shirt... Ryo almost died as that memory returned. "I'm never getting drunk again."
>>>> 
>>>> "Nnh?" Dee muttered sleepily. "Wha-"
>>>> 
>>>> "N-Never mind..." Ryo was frozen. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. What was he going to say? He'd...
>>>> 
>>>> He gasped as Dee nuzzled his neck, kissing him. He froze again as Dee whispered in his ear. "Ne, Ryo..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Y-yes?" How was he supposed to think with Dee's breath ghosting over his skin like that?
>>>> 
>>>> "My turn."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo was absolutely certain that he was now blushing enough to be glowing in the dark. Dee didn't seem to notice though...
>>>> 
>>>> End p 6


	7. The Beginning of the End

False Impressions 7

> > > > Disclaimer: I don't own them. ;_; Other then Danny, and the future villains. If you want to give Dee to me though, I'll be MORE then happy to take him off your hands *hentai grin* 
>>>> 
>>>> Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are meant to entertain. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something. Italics indicate thoughts/mental flashbacks.
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Everybody hurts when your playing the game of love  
Stumble and fall and it's all in the name of love  
Words don't come out right. Can you make it okay 
>>>> 
>>>> Erasure 'crying in the rain'
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo stretched, slowly waking up. It was nice, not being woken by an alarm, or Bikky, for once. Hadn't happened in awhile... So he enjoyed it, resting in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Ahhh, peace.
>>>> 
>>>> "Hey, Ryo!"
>>>> 
>>>> He made a face. Ahhh, Dee. Pushing himself up so he was sitting he kept his expression neutral as the door opened and Dee burst in. "What is it, Dee?"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee grinned. "I made some breakfast, you hungry?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yeah." He smiled back. "Thank you."
>>>> 
>>>> "No problem." Dee disappeared, shutting the door behind him.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo tossed the covers aside, stood up, and promptly tripped over his shirt lying on the floor. Pushing himself to his feet he glared at the offending article of clothing. Luckily Dee had already gone, because that was truly embarrassing. Picking up the shirt, it was the one he'd worn the day before, he dropped it in the laundry basket. Looking around he sighed and set about picking up all the other clothes that were lying on the floor, which seemed to be everything, except his shirt, that he'd worn the day before.
>>>> 
>>>> It wasn't until he noticed his pajamas lying folded on a chair nearby that he really began to piece everything together... Ok, so he was slow in the mornings. He hadn't even eaten yet, and Ryo was the kind of guy who wasn't really awake until he had his coffee.
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo looked at the pajamas, then the clothes in his hands, then at himself. Then he dropped the clothes in the basket and quickly threw on a robe. He was really, really lucky Dee had left, because that would have been truly embarrassing.
>>>> 
>>>> As if on cue the door opened again and Dee stuck his head in. "You gonna eat or what?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Y-Yeah. I'll be there in a minute." He quickly made the bed, then walked out to the table. "Dee, I didn't know you could cook pancakes!"
>>>> 
>>>> "I'm a man of many talents!" Dee pronounced, setting the maple syrup on the table.
>>>> 
>>>> "If you say so..."
>>>> 
>>>> "I am!" Dee looked a bit hurt. Then he grinned a bit naughtily. "Which's why you love me, isn't it?"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo blushed. "Dee!"
>>>> 
>>>> Dee laughed and walked to stand behind Ryo, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Well then, why?" His arms tightened almost imperceptibly. His voice dropped to a near whisper in Ryo's ear. "You do, don't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes, but...I love you because you're you..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee was silent a moment, then kissed Ryo's temple. "Good, because I love you too."
>>>> 
>>>> They didn't move for an endless minute, simply enjoying being together. Then Ryo spoke up. "Dee, the food's getting cold."
>>>> 
>>>> "Forget the food. I can always make more."
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo jumped as he suddenly remembered. "Bikky!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Already sent the brat to school. Told him you'd call the teachers later to make sure he showed up."
>>>> 
>>>> "...You didn't have to do that, you know..."
>>>> 
>>>> Dee shrugged. "You're cute when you're asleep." With a final squeeze of his arms Dee let him go, returning to his chair. He eyed his pancakes, then tried a bite as Ryo sipped his tea. He immediately made a face and pushed his plate away. "They are cold!"
>>>> 
>>>> Ryo smiled, laughing quietly. His tea was cold too, but he barely noticed. Not with Dee there to warm him up.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> JJ yawned as he wandered out of his room towards the kitchen, finishing buttoning up his shirt. He blinked as he noticed the light was blinking on the answering machine. Had Danny forgotten to check it that morning? Shrugging he pushed the play button, walking into the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast and something to drink.
>>>> 
>>>> 'Hey, Danny, you there? It's Dee.'
>>>> 
>>>> Dee-sempai? JJ perked up immediately.
>>>> 
>>>> 'You left your cell phone here, silly girl! You must've been drunker then you looked.'
>>>> 
>>>> She'd gone out for drinks with Dee-sempai? JJ pouted. Why hadn't she invited him?
>>>> 
>>>> 'Anyway, I just wanted to call and thank you... I mean, it's just... you know, you've been a real big help, with Ryo and all...'
>>>> 
>>>> _...What?_
>>>> 
>>>> 'I had that talk with him last night and, well...'
>>>> 
>>>> JJ's heart stopped beating for a minute.
>>>> 
>>>> 'He admitted it! He loves me too!...Ahhh, well,' Dee went from ecstatic to flustered. 'I'll tell you all about it later, if you want to know. Probably shouldn't be talking so much on your machine. Just come by to pick up the cell phone, OK? And thanks again.'
>>>> 
>>>> 'End of message.'
>>>> 
>>>> JJ stared into the sink, then walked back into the living room and hit the repeat button. For some reason, he wasn't hungry anymore.
>>>> 
>>>> 'Hey, Danny, you there? It's Dee...'
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> Danny cursed as the door handle slid from her grip, shifting her bags around to try and get a better hold. Pushing it open she stepped inside, dropping her keys, purse, and bags in the entryway. "Hey, Jamie, you home? Have you seen my cell phone? I think I left it here this morning."
>>>> 
>>>> Stepping inside she blinked. JJ was sitting at the table, staring melancholically at an empty bottle of beer in his hands. Several other bottles lay on the table. "What's wrong, Jamie?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You left your cell phone at Ryo-sempai's. Dee-sempai called."
>>>> 
>>>> "Really? How annoying. Must've fallen out of my pocket. Oh well, I'll go after dinner."
>>>> 
>>>> She muttered to herself as she walked into the kitchen. "Did you drink all that? I hope you left at least one, Josh's coming over."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why do you like him?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't know. I just do." She pulled open the fridge door and looked around for something to eat.
>>>> 
>>>> "He's a killer you know."
>>>> 
>>>> "A hitman, right? Yeah, he told me."
>>>> 
>>>> "You're OK with that?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You've killed people too, Jamie."
>>>> 
>>>> "Criminals!"
>>>> 
>>>> "That's who he kills. Or the police would've arrested him by now. You know that."
>>>> 
>>>> "But he's a murderer."
>>>> 
>>>> "JJ, the only difference is who he works for. You work for the police, he works for a customer. He's got an official job too you know."
>>>> 
>>>> "I don't like him."
>>>> 
>>>> She sighed. "You don't like a lot of people." She laughed slightly, pulling out some mayonnaise and a soda. "I swear, sometimes it seems you don't like anyone but me, Sean and Dee."
>>>> 
>>>> She was reaching for the bread, so she didn't see him walk up behind her. She did hear his chair scrape across the floor as he pushed it back, and him walking, but thought nothing of it. She yelped as he grabbed her by the hand, dragging her off the small stool she was using to reach the top cupboard.
>>>> 
>>>> She landed on her right arm with a sickening crack, a wave of nausea washing over her. JJ twisted her left arm behind her back, keeping her from gaining leverage to even sit up. "J-Jamie?!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Why are do you care so much about them?!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Them? Jamie, what's wrong?" She knew he was a nasty drunk, the only other time she'd actually seen him intoxicated he'd broken Laura's nose after a small fight. True, she'd goaded him into it by teasing, but she always teased him. He just reacted violently when drunk.
>>>> 
>>>> "Josh and Ryo!"
>>>> 
>>>> "What does Randy-san have to do with this?"
>>>> 
>>>> JJ was silent a moment, then pulled her over onto her back, still holding her left arm in the air. She stared up at him, eyes wide. He glared down at her. "You set him and Dee-sempai up, didn't you?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh? They got together? Really?" She was so surprised she momentarily forgot the pain in her arm, and JJ's strange actions; her mind was actively seeking to reject these ideas anyway. However, she put perhaps a bit too little of her surprise and too much happiness into her tone. JJ snarled, throwing her hand to smack into the tile. "Yes! Dee-sempai said that it was all because of me."
>>>> 
>>>> "It wasn't all me, they did like each other..." She trailed off. That was definitely not territory she wanted to get into with JJ already unstable and drunk... When had Dee left that message? Looking up into JJ's eyes she quailed. JJ was excitable normally, but when very upset... She had the feeling Dee had probably called early, as soon as he'd found her cell phone.
>>>> 
>>>> He'd been thinking about this, worrying, upset, drinking, all day? She stared into his eyes, trying to remember how many empty bottles she'd seen on the table. She'd half-thought that Sean had come over, she knew JJ didn't drink, not anymore. But... Sean hadn't mentioned plans or coming over, and he would've. He never would have left JJ drunk and angry. She gulped. She wondered what Dee had said on that message. He'd thanked her? God, JJ had to be feeling betrayed right now. There was only one thing that could set JJ off more than alcohol, and that was betrayal. 
>>>> 
>>>> She looked into his eyes, ignoring the pain spreading from her left hand, then dull ache she just knew was a broken bone in her right arm. "Jamie... Stop this. You're scaring me. My arm hurts..."
>>>> 
>>>> His eyes cleared for a moment, a little. Some of the pained haze seemed to clear. Then it came back as he yelled at her. "You hurt me too! You're supposed to care about ME? ME!! Not them! I love Dee-sempai, Ryo doesn't!! Josh...Josh..." He clenched his eyes shut, biting his lip, then snapped them open and slapped Danny hard enough to make her head spin. "Why the hell didn't you think about me?" He hit her again. "Why didn't you think about how I'd feel?" She managed to get her left arm up to block the blows to her face, at least slightly. He was punctuating every half-screamed question with a blow now. "Why doesn't anyone think about ME? I loved Dee-sempai first, why didn't he love me? Why? Why?" He stopped, actually shaking. All the rage, the hurt, the rejection built up over the years of abortive Dee-chasing, of countless rejections, taunts, slights from everyone around him. Everyone, but... "You were supposed to care about me..." His voice was quiet with pain. "You said you cared about me..."
>>>> 
>>>> "...What's wrong with me? Why doesn't anyone care about me? Why doesn't anyone love me?" He was crying now, voice shaking. The last thing Danny saw, before the shock and pain caught up with her, was him staring down at her, tears streaking his face, his eyes filled with unfathomable pain. 
>>>> 
>>>> Darkness overwhelmed her as she slipped into unconsciousness, JJ still crying beside her.
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> He'd hit her. He'd hurt her.
>>>> 
>>>> _Stupid girl! You're failing, again! Why can't you ever do anything right?_
>>>> 
>>>> He'd beaten her, broken her arm.
>>>> 
>>>> _Sounds of a beating, a girls screams_
>>>> 
>>>> He'd gotten drunk and hurt her...
>>>> 
>>>> _I feed you and pay for you and take care of you! What do I get in return?_
>>>> 
>>>> She never even had a chance to defend herself...
>>>> 
>>>> _A little girl cries as her father hits her..._
>>>> 
>>>> He hurt her...
>>>> 
>>>> _The girl cries for her mother to stop him. Her mother simply shakes her head._
>>>> 
>>>> He knocked her out...
>>>> 
>>>> _The girl sobs as she sits in her room, hearing her father raging through the hallways. He's drunk again, she can tell. He's going to hurt her!_
>>>> 
>>>> How could he?
>>>> 
>>>> _The little girl pulls a knife from her drawer, as the noise gets closer. She can distantly hear her mother crying, he must've beaten her already. She waits beside the door, knife in hand, tears drying._
>>>> 
>>>> _She won't take this anymore..._
>>>> 
>>>> He'll pay...
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> She slowly stood, getting up off the floor. Her eyes were haunted, an ancient pain. "He'll pay..."
>>>> 
>>>> She pulled her gun out, turning the safety off. "He won't get away with this..."
>>>> 
>>>> She walked into the living room. "No excuse..."
>>>> 
>>>> She aimed at the figure on the couch, face buried in his hands. "...No excuse."
>>>> 
>>>> She pulled the trigger.
>>>> 
>>>> Sean jumped at the sudden noise, covering his ears. "What was that?" He pushed open the door to the apartment. "Laura, what ha... GOD! Jaime!! Someone call 911!"
>>>> 
>>>> Laura stared ahead blindly, hands shaking. "...He hurt her..."
>>>> 
>>>> ***
>>>> 
>>>> JJ woke up slowly, in an unfamiliar bed. He blinked, staring at the ceiling. "Where..." He frowned as he found his right hand trapped, unable to move. Turning his head he blinked. Sean was asleep in an uncomfortable looking chair, with machinery lining the white walls behind him. He looked to the other side. He was in a hospital. He tugged on his hand, trying to free it. Pulling it closer he stared. Sean was holding his hand?
>>>> 
>>>> "Nnn..." Sean woke up, unhappily. He immediately turned his head from side to side, stretching his neck. "Man, these things are uncomfortable." He smiled as he found JJ staring at him. "Oh, awake finally."
>>>> 
>>>> "What happened?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Eh? Don't you remember?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I..." He closed his eyes. "Danny..."
>>>> 
>>>> "She's just down the hallway." Sean deliberately misinterpreted his comment. "She'll be out of here well before you are. Right now Josh's in with her."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Why're you here..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Well, like I said, Josh is in with Danny. Dee and Ryo are busy doing police stuff, so I figured I was the best candidate to watch for when you woke up." He made a face. "Took long enough. It's been more than a day. I was starting to get scared."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Because you were unconscious so long. That tends to make people worry."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Danny'll be out of here tomorrow. The doctors say that, except for the broken arm, she has no real serious damage. She'll look funny until the bruises heal, but that shouldn't be very long."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Jamie... If I was having a very hard time with something, and you were involved, and I got really mad and fought with you, would you be very angry with me?"
>>>> 
>>>> "That's different..."
>>>> 
>>>> "How so? If she hadn't fallen wrong she wouldn't have been very hurt at all, truthfully."
>>>> 
>>>> "It was my fault though... She didn't et a chance to fight back."
>>>> 
>>>> "Because you were better at it. If she'd been paying attention she could've stopped you."
>>>> 
>>>> "It was all my fault!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Yes..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..."
>>>> 
>>>> "Danny doesn't blame you for it, you know."
>>>> 
>>>> "How could she not?"
>>>> 
>>>> "You haven't exactly been having the best week, you know. It's only natural for you to get upset."
>>>> 
>>>> "But..."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean sighed, then knelt by the bed, looking JJ in the eyes. "Jamie, Danny forgave you. You've been under a lot of stress and everything, and then you got mad at her. You had to let that rage out somehow." He poked JJ on the nose, right between the eyes. "The real problem was that you got drunk. We all know how you get when you're drunk."
>>>> 
>>>> "But-"
>>>> 
>>>> "But nothing. You stopped, didn't you? You didn't hurt her that much. Actually, if she hadn't fallen wrong she would've been all right, except for some bruises. And that wasn't your fault."
>>>> 
>>>> "Sean..."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean smiled. "Don't worry over it so much. If you keep beating yourself up over it you'll disturb Danny. And then we'll have to get mad at you."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Why are you here?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Hmm?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Why'd you wait for me?"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean smiled, squeezing his hand. "Because I'm your friend. Danny wanted to be here, but she's too hyped up on painkillers to be very coherent. So I came down."
>>>> 
>>>> "Why am I here?"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean sweatdropped. "Umm...haven't you noticed?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Noticed what?"
>>>> 
>>>> The sweatdrop grew. "JJ, you got shot."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ blinked. "I did?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Laura shot you in the stomach. You mean you didn't even notice?"
>>>> 
>>>> "Well...uh..."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean laughed. JJ glared at him. "It's not funny!"
>>>> 
>>>> "Jamie, you idiot." Sean sat on the bed beside JJ. "It is funny. You're so worried over Danny you didn't even notice you got shot and she's so worried about you that she's been bothering the nurses endlessly to keep her informed about your condition."
>>>> 
>>>> "It's not funny!" JJ protested, still a bit angry.
>>>> 
>>>> "Ahhh, I almost forgot. Dee and Ryo have been visiting, they were worried about you. Should I call them and tell them you're awake."
>>>> 
>>>> "...I don't want to see Dee..."
>>>> 
>>>> "..." They sat in silence a moment, then Sean smiled, running a hand through JJ's hair.
>>>> 
>>>> "OK then. Do you want me to see if I can convince the nurses to get you some real food? The stuff they serve here is awful."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a bit sleepy."
>>>> 
>>>> Sean laughed quietly. "You've been sleeping, did you forget?... Oh well, go back to bed. I'll tell Danny and the others that you got up."
>>>> 
>>>> "...Are you leaving?"
>>>> 
>>>> "If you want me too."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ grabbed Sean's hand. "Stay with me?"
>>>> 
>>>> Sean nodded. "If you want me too." He smiled down at JJ, who curled up around him and the pillows, still holding his hand. "Just one thing."
>>>> 
>>>> "What?"
>>>> 
>>>> "I ain't eating hospital food. I've seen what they serve here. I think that that's probably half the problem with people in this place."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ laughed a bit. "You're so picky."
>>>> 
>>>> "Only the best."
>>>> 
>>>> "Narcissist."
>>>> 
>>>> "Don't you know it. Go to sleep Jamie."
>>>> 
>>>> JJ did, drifting off as Sean lightly rubbed his back with one hand. After he'd fallen asleep Sean sighed, leaning his head against the wall. "Better sleep now, this is only going to get worse." He shook his head. "I hope Laura is OK." He was silent a moment, thinking. Then he frowned and lifted his head, glaring at the wall. "And I thought the chair was uncomfortable. Better get a pillow for myself."
>>>> 
>>>> He looked down at JJ, who was sound asleep again, still holding his hand. "You don't deserve all this, you know. You never really wanted to hurt Danny, or you would have hit her more. You already have enough in your life, how long will this haunt you, I wonder?" He patted JJ on the head with his free hand. "Then again, Laura and Danny don't deserve it either..." He leaned back against the wall again, uncomfortable or not. "The world's so unfair."
>>>> 
>>>> End part 7
>>>> 
>>>> [][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	8. It All Comes Crashing Down

Fake 8 (the end)

Disclaimer: I don't own them. ;_; Other then Danny, Sean, Josh, Brett and Laura.

Comments in the brackets [ ] are by me, and are meant to entertain. They aren't actually part of the story. So just ignore them, unless you think I'm amusing, or something.

Part 8

-

Once I had my heroes  
Once I had my dreams  
But all of that is changed now  
The truth begins again  
The truth is not that comfortable, no

Moby 'When I Reach For My Revolver'

-

"EH?! They let her out?"

"Mm, on bail."

"But..."

"They confiscated her gun."

"What if she has another?"

"She's only registered to use that one, and Danny said she'd never seen another."

"Really?" Dee leaned back in his chair. "I don't like it."

"Eh?"

Dee stared up at the ceiling. "I said I don't like it. I don't think this is over yet."

"Why?"

"I don't know...Just...Something in her eyes. I don't think she's going to forgive JJ that easily."

"JJ can handle himself." Ryo glared.

Dee blinked, then smirked. "Are you jealous? Of JJ? Why, Ryo!"

"I am not jealous!" Ryo protested.

"Oh really?" Dee grabbed Ryo and half-pulled him over the desk, kissing him. "Then...you won't mind if I..."

"Dee?"

"Run over there!" He grabbed his coat, smirked, and ran out the door. Ryo gaped after him for a minute, then scowled. "DEE! Get back here!"

He grabbed his pager from the desk, running out the door after Dee. A minute later... "HEY! What do you think you're doing, running off in the middle of the day? Get back in there!"

"Chief! But, Dee-!"

"No buts, get back in there!"

"Chiiief!"

"You heard me McLane."

Ryo slumped as he walked back into the office. He glared at the far wall. Dee would pay for this... He may not be able to get him now, but it would only be a matter of time.

***

Dee peered up and down the apartment hallway, then grinned. "Worked like a charm."

He knew Ryo wouldn't approve. Ryo was so naïve, he trusted people way too much. Raising his hand he knocked on the door. He plastered a fake smile on his face as he heard a woman answer. "Who is it?"

"Dee Laytner."

There was a pause, then the door opened. Laura glared mistrustfully at him. "What is it?"

"Sorry to bother you, just had a few more questions." He waved a hand, as if to dismiss the whole thing as trivial. "You know how red tape is."

She watched him a moment, then stepped back inside, leaving the door open. Taking it as an invitation he walked in as well. She turned to him. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks."

She shrugged and walked over to the table, leafing through some paperwork. "What did you want to ask?"

"Just a few questions about some things your file wasn't too clear on."

"Like what?"

"Your parents murder."

She hesitated, then turned her head. "I would've thought that that would be well-documented. It was quite a sensation at the time."

"Indeed. A man and his wife, leaving a little girl alone in the house, no witnesses, no visible signs of forced entry, no sign of a struggle until after the blow had been struck. Kind of unusual."

"Someone broke in, tried to rob the place, but was interrupted and killed them with a skinning knife he picked up off a table."

"A knife you coincidentally had in your room."

"My grandfather had given it to me as a present for my birthday."

"And you were, also coincidentally, not in that part of the house at the time? According to your own testimony, you were in the kitchen, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't hear or see anything?"

"Correct."

"You didn't hear _any _noise, at all?"

"Nothing unusual."

"Now, I find that even more strange than the rest of the story. A girl is in the kitchen, getting a snack, and she totally misses the entrance of a burglar, her father, who we know abused her, going into her room in a rage, her mother following him, the burglar killing them, their death struggles _and_ the burglar leaving? And she doesn't find the bodies for ten minutes after they've been killed?"

"..."

"What kind of snack were you getting?"

"..."

"Tell me, Laura, how is it that your parents got halfway into the room without even noticing a man holding a skinning knife?"

"...I don't know."

"I know, if I went into my daughter's room and a strange man was there and I saw him grab a knife I'd probably react."

"The police said he'd heard them coming up the hallway, grabbed the knife and hidden to attack them when they came in."

"But he didn't do anything until they'd gotten all the way in the room. Wouldn't it be smarter to attack when they came in, so they wouldn't spot him?"

"Maybe he wasn't that smart."

"But he was smart enough not to be seen by anyone?'

"...Apparently." She grabbed the papers and walked past Dee to her desk, opening the drawer to put them inside.

"This is some burglar...He comes in, performs this rather extraordinary murder, without making a noise and leaves without taking anything?"

"Perhaps what he'd done scared him."

"Perhaps...Or perhaps we should take another look at the evidence. No sign of break in, an abused girl, her father in a rage, both her parents in her room. A skinning knife, which her grandfather had taught her to use when he gave it to her, on the table. A little girl who, after her parents death, supposedly displayed little grief. No signs of break-in and a story that, when I asked Josh about it, was 'so unbelievable not even the worst murder mystery would use it'."

"..."

"And now we have the murders of a series of girls, all models. You work with models closely don't you Laura, with Danny? They all had their throats cut under mysterious circumstances too. JJ asked the forensics team about the knife used, it wasn't a common one. They told him it was a skinning knife, often used by hunters, but that the blade was of a type used by a company that went bankrupt years ago. I checked your records, and would you believe that the knife used in your parents murder was the exact same type as what killed those girls?"

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Well, it is. And... Didn't your grandfather give you a matched pair? I heard they never found that second knife" She shut the drawer and turned to face him, hands behind her back. "Everyone assumed the thief had taken it with him when he left."

"Tell me, Laura, where's that knife?"

"How should I know?"

"Because you used it to kill those girls. You're a well known figure in the modeling industry, being tied so closely with Danny. It would've been easy for you to get them alone. And..." He grabbed her right arm, pinning it against the desk. "You left early, that day Sarah was killed, didn't you?"

She simply smiled.

He slapped her, knocking her back on her heels. "I don't give a shit what happened to you in the past or what kind of fucked up mental issues you have. You never should've messed with my friends."

She turned back to face him, lip bleeding slightly. "I've been wondering for the longest time..."

"What?" Dee blinked, taken aback by the cold smile she was giving him.

"What would a person look like without any skin? I never did get to find out."

He jumped back, reaching for his gun. She was faster, lashing out with a paperweight from off the desk, catching him on the temple. He fell to the ground, vision blurring. "Let me guess, you didn't tell that delicious partner of yours where you were going, did you? I don't think he'd be the type to approve of this, he struck me as a guy who'd stick to the rules no matter what."

Dee couldn't respond, he could barely even make sense of what she was saying. He could vaguely see a spreading puddle of darkness across the floor. He didn't flinch as a knife embedded itself in the floor an inch from his nose. "Is that the knife you wanted, officer? I seem to have found it. Imagine, after all these years... It's a bit dirty though, so you probably don't really want it." A hand wrapped around the hilt, pulling the knife from the carpet. He couldn't lift his head to see where it went.

"That's a nasty wound, officer Laytner. You should be more careful. Something like that could _kill _you." A childish giggle. "You want to know why I killed them, didn't you? Well you probably won't be telling anyone else. And it's the villainous thing to do, isn't it, telling everything?"

"Did I ever tell you how I met Danny?" She knelt down in front of him, playing with the knife. "I don't think I did. Well, it's important so I'll tell you now. It was before she met that idiot Adams. She was so sweet and innocent, just like a little girl. I always wanted a little girl, you know. Someone sweet and pretty to take care of." A twisted smile. "She never had a mother, did you know that? She died when Danny was very young...Well, I decided right when I first saw her that I was going to take care of her. She couldn't handle herself, you know, being so naïve. Children always _think _they can take care of themselves, but when it gets right down to it...well...Anyway, I signed on as her manager, I knew she was destined to be great, with just a little pushing. I even found her a nice boyfriend, Sean. Bet you didn't know that, did you? Danny and Sean were supposed to do the usual teenagers in love thing, but they didn't seem to get along that well, alas."

She tapped him on the cheek with the knife. "Her loss, my gain. Sean's such a sweet boy..." She frowned. "Oh, but I was talking about Danny, wasn't I? Or was it the murders...yes, the murders. Well, you see, Danny was supposed to be a big star. But she never liked traveling much, did you know she gets air sick? Makes things very hard, I'll tell you. So I came up with an idea, let's move out here to New York, where most of the shoots are indoors and local and then she wouldn't have to travel. But..." She sighed sadly. "There are so many girls who want to be models now a days it's hard for even someone like Danny to get ahead of the game. So..." She grinned brightly. "I thought of a way! If the competition dies not only are they removed, but the surviving models get even more attention! Wasn't that a _great _idea?"

"... No? Oh, well, it worked, didn't it? Danny's more popular than ever. If you hadn't come along and ruined everything who knows how long it could've gone on, how famous she could've been." She thought a bit. "Well, I'll just have to resort to plan B then." She stood, taking the knife with her. "What could possibly make someone more famous than a connection to a serial murderer? Of course, I'll have to go out in style. And sitting here in a pool of your blood is _not _the kind of style I mean... I know!" Laughter. "I'll kill Sean and Jamie! Maybe that partner of yours, for good measure. Yes, that will take care of things." She patted him on the cheek. "Goodbye, officer Laytner. Thank you for all your help."

He could vaguely hear her walking off, but couldn't seem to summon the energy to move. It was getting very dark, wasn't it? Strange, he hadn't heard her turn off the light...

***

Ryo sighed, leaning against JJ's hospital room door. He'd finally managed to escape when the Chief went to lunch, but Dee wasn't here. According to Sean and Danny he'd never come in, or at least never come to their rooms. He could've sworn Dee'd said he was running off to check on them, but...He shook his head, staring up at the ceiling. Where was Dee now? Probably in trouble, knowing him. He smiled faintly, but couldn't shake the sense of worry that'd fallen over him.

He looked up as he heard footsteps approaching and waved. "Hello, Laura."

She didn't respond, simply walked closer and closer.

"Laura? Are you all right?"

"...Is Sean in?"

"Yes. JJ's asleep though, so I don't think it's a good time to bother them."

She shrugged. "That won't matter."

"Hmm?" He blinked. "What's wrong, Laura?"

She was only a couple feet away from him, head down, bangs overshadowing her eyes. She stopped suddenly, looking up at him. "Ryo..."

"H-hai?"

"Do you know where officer Laytner is?"

"Ummm, no actually."

She smiled slightly. "I see."

*click* "I can tell you."

Laura frowned, half-turning her head. Ryo jumped at the sudden noise and presence. "Josh!"

Josh smiled coldly, pushing the tip of his gun further into the back of Laura's neck. "Hi, Ryo. Hello Laura."

"What are you doing?" Laura's voice was cold.

"For someone who's managed to get away with so much you really are an idiot, Laura. You never thought to check for someone watching your apartment, did you? You didn't think I'd just let you get away with shooting JJ like that, did you?"

"You never liked him."

"But Danny does. That's what matters."

Ryo sweatdropped. "Umm...Josh...What's happening?"

Josh smiled. "You wanted to know where Dee was, right?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, I can tell you. He ran out of the station in a hurry, didn't he? A short time after getting a phone call or a report?"

"A report, yes. Why?"

"Well, want to know where he went?"

Laura cut in. "I'd say right about now he's somewhere well out of your reach, Ryo."

Ryo blinked. "Huh?"

Josh shook his head. "Laura, you never admit you've done something until they list the evidence against you. You're a very bad villain."

"I skipped class."

"Umm...What're you two talking about?" Ryo wasn't quite sure what was going on, all he could see was a bit of Josh's face, Laura blocked the rest.

"I'll tell you later."

"Why don't you tell him now, Mr. Raven?"

"I'm more interested in why you're here now. You might've gotten away with it, if you'd just stayed and cleaned your mess."

"Perhaps...But I think it's time to end this game." She deliberately turned, despite the gun against her neck. "Why don't you shoot, Josh?"

"Why are you here?"

"Or you, McLane."

"Huh? Shoot? What's going on here?"

"Nothing too important, officer. Just finishing up what I started. I do hate to leave something unfinished."

"Or someone alive."

"You say it your way, I say it mine."

Ryo snapped. He reached for Laura, pulling her away from Josh. "All right, what the hell is-"

He cut off as a flash of bright steel buried itself in his thigh. Gasping he fell back, deafened by the sudden blast as Josh pulled the trigger. Twice. Three times.

Laura fell, even as Ryo did, hitting the tiled floor with a meaty thud. Ryo managed to get his hands out to break his fall, Laura no longer had any need to. The cop stared at the bloody body lying in front of him, then reached for his own gun. Josh grabbed it from him, tossing it down the hallway. Distantly Ryo could hear people shouting, footsteps coming closer.

Josh stared down at him, seemingly unaware of the red stains spotting his face and shirt. "You wanted to know where Dee was, didn't you?"

"..." Ryo nodded stupidly. Thinking was too hard right now.

"Right now he's in surgery. Laura hit him over the head with a metal paperweight. It cut his skull and cracked the bone...Buuuut...he'll be fine!" Josh smiled. "How about that?"

Ryo blinked. "what?"

"Hmm..." Josh kneeled before him, then smiled. "Ahh, shock. I see." He patted Ryo on the head, then casually knocked him out using the butt of his gun. "Sorry, but I have to get out of here before everyone arrives. Murder investigations are such a pain, you know?"

He grabbed his coat off a nearby chair and wiped his face off with a towel. After he pulled the coat and zipped it up he simply walked off down the hallway. Deliberately he went through the lesser used halls, towards the nearest exit. He smiled at the man standing in the emergency exit doorway. "How is he?"

His brother smiled. "He'll be fine. Nothing serious. It looked a lot worse then it was because he was bleeding all over. I'd say he was moving when she hit him, so she didn't get a good blow."

Josh sighed, leaning against a wall. "This all seems so surreal... I feel like I'm in some kind of bad mystery or something."

"...Josh."

"Yeah?"

"You think too much. Let's go get you cleaned up."

Josh acked as his brother grabbed him in a headlock. "Lemme go!"

Brett dragged him off, laughing. "The villain's dead, the girl, and guys, are safe and everything's good in the end. Don't need to think about it anymore than that.'

"So you say."

"Yes, and I'm your big brother so you're supposed to listen to me."

"Whoever came up with that stupid rule must've never met you..."

"Be quiet."

***

Dee opened his eyes slowly. Light hurt... he shut them again, moaning quietly.

"Dee?"

Ryo?

"Nngh..."

"Don't move, Dee." Someone took his hand. "You're at the hospital."

"L-Laura..."

"...She's dead."

"Nn?"

"She was shot...She stabbed me in the leg-"

"NGGH!" He thrashed, trying to get up. She'd pay!

"DEE! Settle down, you'll hurt yourself!" Ryo manhandled him back into the bed and, since Dee refused to be still, lay on top of him. Dee made a face, trying to squirm free. "L'mme go. K'll 'er."

Ryo sighed. "Dee, aren't you paying attention? She's already dead..."

"K'll 'er 'gain..."

Ryo was about to say something, then smiled and hugged Dee close. "Idiot."

"Mm?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry. I got bandaged up right away and they have me on some very nice painkillers."

"Danny?"

"She's fine. Josh's taking care of her...She isn't taking this very well..."

"Laura or JJ?"

"Laura... She really liked her, you know. It's kind of hard to believe that someone could do such awful things and be such a nice person normally."

"She did it for Danny."

"Eh?"

"She thought it'd help her." Memories of her little 'explanation' returned to him. "She wanted Danny to be happy..."

"So she killed people?"

"People do strange things for love...I mean, look at me!"

"What about you?"

"I'm in a hospital bed with a head wound and I've got someone sitting on top of me, that's what."

Ryo blinked, then made a face at him. "If you'd just stop moving I'd let you go."

"Then I better keep moving."

Ryo blushed. "Idiot."

Dee smiled. "Yeah, but I'm your idiot."

Ryo ran a finger down Dee's cheek. "Why did you go by yourself? You could've told me..."

"I wasn't sure if I was right. I knew you'd insist on waiting, so I just skipped the argument."

"You should've told me! What if you'd died and I...I..."

"Ryo..."

"You never think about me, do you?"

"What're you talking about?"

"You never think about how I'd feel. You run off and do stupid things like this and..."

"What was I supposed to do, invite you along?"

"You could've at least told me!"

"You would've come, or tried to stop me. Or warned her. You never could act that well."

Ryo glared.

"If I'd brought you along something would've gone wrong, something I couldn't handle."

"I could've helped!"

"You're too nice. She would've figured it out."

"I'm an adult Dee, I can handle myself."

"No you can't! You always get in trouble!"

"You get in trouble more than I do!"

"Only because I'm busy keeping you out of it!"

"Maybe you should just concentrate on keeping yourself out of it!"

"And let you die? Hell no! I knew she had the knife, how do you think I'd've felt watching her cut you up?"

"...Dee..."

"She would've, you know. She'd have figured it out, you would've blurted something out wrong if only to give her a chance to defend herself, and then she'd grab one of us and threaten the other. I wasn't about to sit back and watch her hurt you and I wasn't going to get myself killed like some idiot hostage."

"And how do you think I feel, finding out that you're in surgery because she tried to crush your skull with a paperweight?"

"..."

"You never think about that, do you? You promised you wouldn't leave me alone!"

"I'm still here, aren't I?"

"But what if next time..." Ryo choked up, he couldn't even say it.

"And what if next time I don't get involved, and _you _die? What then? Am I supposed to think that, even though I could've done something it's better that I didn't because I might've spared your feelings?"

"..."

Dee glared at him, disgruntled. Here he was, wounded, and Ryo was picking fights with him! "You'd better get used to being protected because I plan to keep bailing you out for a long time."

Ryo bit his lip. "..."

"Ryo?... Are you crying? Hey, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing...just..."

"Ryo..." Dee sighed, pulling him closer. Ryo cried quietly against him for awhile. "You're so emotional."

"..."

"Oh well, I guess that's part of what makes you you though..."

"Dee..."

"Don't worry, Ryo. We have plenty of time. I'm not about to let some two-bit psycho kill me, or you. The way I see it, we'll live forever."

Ryo chuckled weakly. "Or it'll at least seem like forever."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing..."

"...So...is this the end?"

"Of the case? I'd say so. Kind of a anti-climax, if you ask me...then again, I wasn't awake for most of it."

"No, I mean..."

"What? Don't you want me around anymore?"

"Of course I do..."

"Then there's still that. I can live without being pounced by JJ whenever I enter a room... Danny'll recover, and who knows, maybe a year from now we'll all be one big happy family."

"Bikky will still hate you though."

Dee twitched. "Bikky?" He looked around the room. "I forgot about him, where is the little brat?"

"...I don't know. I've barely seen him all week."

Carol grinned. "You got caught."

"Be quiet!" Bikky pulled his cap on tighter, glaring at her. "It wasn't my fault!"

"What'll Ryo say, when he finds out you got caught stealing again?"

"I told you, it wasn't my fault!"

"Sure, sure. I'll bet he'll believe you."

"I don't care!"

"You still mad about that?"

"...No!"

"You are, aren't you?" She laughed. "You act like you've never walked in on an adult couple before."

"Shut up! I haven't!"

"You're blushing!"

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!"

"You're a really, really bright red!"

"Shut up!!"

Carol laughed as she ran out of the station, just ahead of Bikky. "When're you going to go back?"

"I've been back, but he hasn't been in."

She grinned. "I bet they both have, but you keep missing them."

"Carol!!"

"Well, it HAS been a week. And it IS Dee and Ryo."

"Shut up!!!" Bikky covered his ears. "I don't want to think about it."

"Well, I think it's cute."

"It was not cute! It was something, but not cute."

"Although, who would've imagined Ryo had it in him. I always figured Dee'd be the one too-"

"Carol!!!!"

***

JJ sat in bed, staring at the walls. He was alone...

He sighed, flopping back against the pillows. He hadn't been alone in so long he'd forgotten just how lonely it was. But Sean'd had to go, to handle things. Since... Since...

_Laura..._

He couldn't believe it. Not Laura. Not sweet overprotective Laura.

Then again, maybe he could. She'd always been just a bit too possessive of Danny. Just a bit too cold to everyone else...Didn't make it any easier to take though. How did one handle finding out a friend was a serial killer who'd shot you then come back to try and finish the job?

Ehh...He didn't want to think about that right now...

He didn't really have a choice though. That thought wouldn't leave his mind, and he had too much time for thinking. Sure, Danny was in and out, usually with Josh, and Sean came most of the time she wasn't there but... It'd never be the same.

That was the real problem. Everything had changed so much...Danny and Josh were now practically inseparable, he still didn't like the guy though. Sean was depressed, although he tried to hide it. He'd been going out with Laura, off and on, so he'd been even closer to her. They'd never be the same again.

Closing his eyes he remembered what Danny had said when he'd commented on that. 

It doesn't matter if it's the same. I don't really want it to be. As long as it's the three of us-I really wish you'd just try and get along with Josh JJ, it'd make things so much easier-then everything will be fine. Ne?

The three of them...Maybe they could get through this. Who knows where they'd be a year from now, they may even have recovered by then. But... He sighed, drifting towards sleep. It didn't really matter anymore. Nothing would be the same, that was for sure, but maybe...maybe things would get better. 

As long as they had each other.

Owari

JJ: o_O;;; That's IT?  
Leah: I'm DONE! *_* I actually finished it!  
Danny: That wasn't a very good ending.  
Josh: That has to be the corniest ending line ever.  
Leah: Damare!  
Dee and Ryo: We're happy with it.  
Others: _ Shush.  
Sean: Umm...Did I have a point?  
Brett: You're one to talk, what about me?  
Leah: Shut up, all of you. I'm going to sleep.  
Danny: We'll still be here in the morning you know.  
Leah:... I can't win, can I?  
Danny: Nope.  
Leah sighs. "...Oh well! It's still done!" n.n v  
Everyone: LEAH-SAN!

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	9. False Impressions 2 False Identities

False Impressions 2?

"Bikky!"

Dee almost dropped his coffee. "Eh?" He looked up to see Bikky racing down the corridor towards him, Ryo chasing after the boy.  "Huh?"

Bikky hid behind Dee, just avoiding Ryo's grab. Ryo glared at him as the young boy grabbed Dee's waist. "Bikky…"

Bikky tightened his grip. Dee sweatdropped. "What did you steal now?"

"Some money." Brett walked up behind Ryo, grinning.

Dee sighed. "Bikky, I've told you, if you're going to steal don't get caught."

Ryo tried to grab Bikky, obviously so he could drag him off and lecture him, but the boy simply shifted to the other side of Dee, not letting go. Bikky made a face. "I almost got away with it!"

"Bikky! You shouldn't be stealing in the first place. Dee, don't encourage him."

Dee shrugged.

"He was very good." Brett walked up, grinning. "But he forgot to ask whose money it was."

"You stole from Brett?" Dee was incredulous.

Bikky squirmed. "Well, I didn't know it was his."

"Or so he claims." Brett shrugged. "I figured I'd drag him down here for you two to deal with. Thought you'd be upset if I beat him myself."

Ryo gave up trying to grab Bikky. "Dee, hit him."

Dee set his cup down and whacked Bikky across the back of the head. Bikky let go and glared up at him, looking wounded and betrayed. Dee looked back over at Ryo. "Need me to hit him again?"

"No. That'll be fine."

"What'd you do now, Bikky?"

They all jumped and turned to face Danny. Bikky ran over to her, trying to hide again. Josh intercepted him, however. "Stealing again?"

"I didn't know it was yours!"

Josh blinked. "Mine?"

"Yours, Brett's, whatever."

"You stole from Brett and you're not black and blue?"

"He brought me down here! He wanted to hand me over to Ryo…" Bikky risked a look back at Ryo, who was obviously still upset.

Josh was a bit upset himself. "Hey! How come this brat gets away with stealing from you? You never even let me off!"

Bikky kicked him in the shin then fled when Josh let go of him. He'd made it about two feet down the corridor when Brett grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him into the air. He winced at the look on the mans face. "Ummm…I was just leaving, I won't do it again, I promise!"

"Damn right you won't do it again. You hit my little brother and stole from me." Brett looked back at Josh who was hopping around on one foot. "And like he said, even he doesn't get away with that."

"Ahh…Ryo!!"

Ryo sniffed. "Maybe this will teach you not to steal."

"You wouldn't let him hit me?"

Ryo grabbed Dee's hand, pulling him back towards the office. "Be back in time for dinner!"

"Ryo!!" Bikky was incredulous. "You can't be serious? Dee!"

Dee waved. "See you later!"

"Dee, you bastard, get back here!…Danny?"

Danny was busy comforting Josh, who was being a bit overdramatic about it all. "I can't tell Brett what to do."

Bikky yelped as Brett tucked him under an arm and looked around. "Isn't anyone going to help me at all? RYO! Dee, you son of a-"

"Now what did you do?"

"CAROL!" Bikky reached towards her. "I didn't do nothing. I just stole a little money and kicked Josh. And now he's going to hit me!"

Carol sniffed. "It's your own fault."

"You're abandoning me too?"

"Doesn't seem to be a good day for you, Bikky."

"…" Bikky sighed. "I should've just stayed in bed today."

"Speaking of which, isn't it a school day?" Danny eyed the kids. "Why're you both running around at noon on a school day?"

They looked at her, smiled, and sweatdropped. "Nevermind!"

Brett laughed. "Well, that's something else you'll have to learn not to do, street rat." He waved to Carol. "See you later, miss."

"Byebye!"

 "HEY! She's skipping too!"

"I don't hit girls." Brett walked out, carrying the still protesting Bikky with him. Carol turned to Danny. "Do you really think he'll hit him?"

"Probably. He got Randy mad at him too."

"Ahhh! He's in so much trouble!" She laughed, walking off.

"What's all this noise about?"

"Jamie!" Danny pounced JJ, who'd just walked in looking annoyed. He yelped and caught her, dropping his paperwork. "Danny!"

"Where have you been? You haven't come home in a week! I was so worried! I almost sent josh out to look for you."

JJ glared at Josh who simply smirked and waved. He still wasn't putting any weight on the leg Bikky had kicked, however. "I was staying with Sean?"

Danny laughed, cat ears sprouting on her head. "Oh, really?"

He blinked, then made a face. "Danny!!"

"Hmm… It's strange, Sean didn't tell me about that. And I saw him everyday this past week." She frowned. "He's hiding things from me again."

"Well… I hadn't really planned on staying there that long. It's just…" He shrugged. "He's still upset about everything."

"Well, it's only been a couple of months. He really liked Laura."

"Yeah…"

She poked him. "Don't look so upset, Jamie. It doesn't suit you."

"I guess." He still looked worried though.

She sighed and kneeled to pick up the papers he'd dropped. "Where is Sean, anyway?"

"Didn't you see him today?"

"Not yet… Josh?"

"He had some errands to run, he said. He took the day off."

"Oh." Danny made a face. "Why didn't he tell me?" She handed JJ his papers.

Josh shrugged. "He mentioned something about your parents and-"

"WHAT?"

Josh covered his ears. "Ow! Did you both have to scream at me?"

"What're her parents doing coming here?"

"Why the hell is Sean the one talking to them?"

"What're they doing outside of Miami?"

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Josh!"

"Josh!"

Josh gingerly removed his hands from his ears as they glared at him. "Promise to stop yelling?"  
                "I'll start in a minute if you don't tell me!" Danny threatened.

Josh sweatdropped. "Well, it turns out they have some business up here. Sean wouldn't tell me what but… He said that he didn't tell you because he was afraid you'd…ah… overreact." Josh finished lamely.

"What kind of business? They'd better not be trying to get him involved!"

"What possible business could they have up here? Everything's centered in Miami and LA. Father makes a point of not doing anything up here in New York."

"Excuse me…"

"It doesn't make any sense!"

"Umm…Pardon me?"

"That was part of why we moved here! To get away!"

"…HELLO!"

The trio jumped, turning to face the angry woman behind them. Diana sniffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "About time." She pointed to JJ. "Where's Dee?"

"Huh?"

"Or Ryo."

JJ sweatdropped. "Umm… Do I know you?"

Diana sighed. "To be forgotten to quickly…" She pulled out her badge. "I'm FBI Di-"

"Hey! Diana, what're you doing here?"

Diana quickly pounced Dee, to Ryo and JJ's annoyance. "Work, of course." She winked. "Perhaps a bit private too."

 "Sorry." Dee winked. "No can do. Finally got around to making Ryo confess he loves me too."

"You what?" Ryo glared.

Diana pouted. "Oh well." She turned to JJ, who eyed her suspiciously. "You…" She paused and looked closer. "Aren't you…"

She turned to look at Danny, who was still trying to pry details out of Josh. She gasped. Danny finally deigned to notice the interruption and yelped, pointing at the other girl.

"YOU!" They shouted at the same time.

Dee sweatdropped. "You two girls know each other?"

JJ groaned. "Oh god, not this again. Please, please, please not this again."

"Diana, do you know Danny?" Ryo asked, as confused as everyone but the girls and JJ seemed to be.

Diana laughed, looking haughty. "I'd heard you'd taken up with the cops, Daniela. Never expected to find you here, though."

"Daniela?"

"Daniela Breit."

"That's an…odd name."

Danny sniffed. "I was named after my mother's best friend."

"Ahh! So, then, your mother is Spanish and your father's…"

"German."

"That explains it! I always thought you were at least partly Spanish."

"I look a lot like my mother."

Ryo smiled. "How nice…"

Dee sweatdropped. "Umm…wasn't your name Danielle Mills?"

"Well…"

"False identity." Diana replied.

Danny made a face at her. "No it isn't!" She sniffed. "I got it changed nice and legal-like."

Diana glared at her. "That makes no difference!"

"It makes all the difference!"

"You're still a drug-smuggler!"

"I never dealt in drugs!"

"Only murder?"

"Never committed one."

"So you admit to being a behind-the-scenes control?"

"Jamie figured that out years ago."

"Jamie?"  
                Danny pointed at JJ, who blinked. "Jamie." She smirked. "You can't get me on anything either. I left all that behind. Daddy doesn't work up here, that's been well known for years."

"You're still a criminal!"

"Would a criminal just walk into a police station like this."

"Yes." Josh replied. Danny glared at him. He held up his hands defensively. "Well, we do!"

"Ah-HA! Hanging around with other criminals, are you?"

"I hang around with cops too? Don't I Dee." She smiled winningly.

"All the time." He replied.

Diana stared at him in shock. "You don't really spend time with _her _do you?"

"Why not?"

"She's a mafia girl!"

"No, she's not."

Diana glared at JJ. "What do you mean?"

"Danny was never part of the mafia. She just helped her father out a bit now and then. She never really did anything illegal."

"Wait a minute!" Ryo cut in. "Danny's a criminal?"

JJ frowned at him. "Didn't you just hear me? No, she's not."

"Yes she is!" Diana objected.

"She isn't!"

"She is!"

"She isn't." Dee cut in. "She hasn't been doing anything since she got here."

"How do you know that?"

"JJ wouldn't put up with it. And he'd know."

Danny nodded. "If I ever got involved in any of that again Jamie'd kill me."

"Then why is your father in town?"

"I don't know. Don't you?"

Diana blinked. "You don't know why he's here?"

Danny made a face. "Until a few minutes ago I didn't know he was even in the state."

"You didn't even know?" Diana deflated a bit.

"How could I? I haven't talked to him in months."

Diana pointed at her. "I'm still going to be watching you."

"Don't bother, Dee, Randy and Jamie already are. If more people watch me you'll get in each others way."

Dee patted Diana on the head. "Danny really isn't a bad kid."

Ryo, who was still confused, spoke up. "Shouldn't you go tell the commissioner you're here?"

"Ahh, you're right…" She glared at Danny. "I'll be back for you later." She walked off down the halls. Danny stuck her tongue out after her. Dee nudged her. "So, what's this all about?"

"Hmph. It's nothing. She's been trying to get at my family for years and is all upset that she can't get anything on me. She figures that if she gets me she can use that to take down everyone else."

"But you're clean?"  
                "Yep! Have been since I moved out. Just ask JJ."

JJ nodded. "She hasn't done anything."

Ryo hmmed. "Well, that explains why you were so accepting of the fact Josh was a killer."

She shrugged. "Murderers aren't really a bad lot. It's only the non-mafia ones that tend to be so creepy."

"Still…wonder why your dad's in town."

"I'll ask him tonight." She pulled out her cell phone. "Just hope Sean has his on."

*              *                *

Sean shifted uncomfortably as the man sitting in the chair across from him stared at him with cold gray eyes. "It would seem my daughter has had a very interesting year."

"Yes sir."

"Laura is dead then?"

"Very dead, sir."

"Good. I'll have to talk to this Josh boy, of course."

Sean winced. That would be interesting.

"Still uncomfortable, Seannie?" A woman bustled into the room. She looked to be in her mid-twenties with blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a simple, but elegant, white dress. "It's been years, you'd think you'd have gotten used to us by now."

"I guess…"

She patted him on the cheek. "You've gotten used to Danny, I'd think we'd be much easier."

He smiled faintly. "I'd think so."

"Where is my daughter, anyway?"

"Either at work or at the police station, I'd guess."

"The police station? Why on earth would Daniela be there?"

"Danny's become friends with some of the cops there. It's also where Jamie works."

"Jamie?"

"Ahh, sorry. JJ."

Danny stepmother smiled. "So, how is JJ doing?"  
                "Much better. It's been rough, the past couple of months. But everything's working itself out."

"You will say hi to him for me, won't you?"

"Sure."

With a final enigmatic smile she swept out of the room.

Danny's father shrugged. "Don't mind Hilde. She's a natural meddler."

"Like Danny."

He smiled. "Yes, I suppose." He sighed. "Now, if only those two would get along…"

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here? I know-" He jumped as his cell phone began to ring. "Hold on a second."

Pulling it out of his pocket he flipped it open. "Hello?"

'SEAN!'

"AHHH! Danny?"

'Where are you?'

"Uh, well…"

'What's daddy doing in New York?'

"What makes you think I'm talking to your father?"

'I made Josh tell me what he knew.'

"Aw hell…"

'Don't you swear at me!'

"I wasn't really! It's just…"

Her father took the phone from him. "Danny, leave the boy alone… Yes, I know I hate New York…Yes, I brought her with me." He held the phone away from his ear for a minute, and then returned it once the sound dropped to a manageable level. "I'll tell you why later… No, I'm not recruiting him… What? The FBI? … Shit, I'll get someone to deal with this… He IS? Since when did you like assassins? … OK…OK…Yes honey, I'll see you then…" He put his hand over the receiver. "Would you mind taking Hilde out to dinner later?"

Sean shook his head. "That'll be fine. Me and JJ were going to go out anyway."

"Oh. Maybe I should have someone else take her then. Wouldn't want to interrupt."

"It's not like that!" Sean blushed.

He shrugged, then uncovered the receiver. "… Yes dear, I was plotting something… I'm foisting Hilde off on poor Sean, since I just know you'll have a fit if I bring her with me… She adores you, you know, why can't you just get along? …  Who the hell taught you that phrase? Jesus… even I don't curse like that dearie…" He sighed. "All right, I'll see you there at seven. Bring Josh along…Goodbye sweetie, I love you too."

He turned the phone off and handed it back to Sean, who put it away. "It is the eternal plight of men, straight or not, to be dominated by women."

Sean sweatdropped. "I don't think it's that bad."

"…And most of us don't even mind it."

"…"

He gestured. "I'll see you again later, Sean. I had hoped to avoid any unpleasantness with my daughter while I was here but as long as I'm meeting her I'll have her answer my questions. Just do me a favor, would you?"

"Sir?"

"Keep my wife and that damned cop away from us."

Sean sighed. "Yes sir…"

End FI epilogue/teaser


	10. FI 2 Family Matters

False Impressions 2, chapter 2

False Impressions 2, chapter 2

"What the hell is that old man doing up here anyway?" Danny sat on the edge of JJ's desk, glaring at no one in particular. "And why'd he bring Hilde up?"

                "I think Hilde's nice." JJ said absent-mindedly, sorting through some paperwork. He was only half paying attention to Danny anyway, he'd heard this rant before.

"NICE?!" Danny practically shrieked, clapping a hand down on the papers he was currently sifting through. "What about her is nice?"

"Her attitude and personality?"

"Jamie!" Danny whined.

"You know you're bring unreasonable. Why don't you like her?"

"I just don't."

"Spoiled brat."

She stuck her tongue out at him. The other cops sweatdropped. Dee leaned back in his chair, ignoring his work like usual. "What is your dad like anyway, Danny?"

"Hmm? Daddy? He's nice, I suppose."

"He spoils her rotten." JJ proclaimed.

"I find it a bit odd that your dad just let you move up here by yourself." Josh mused. "Normally those cartel guys are so careful about everything."

"Actually." Danny considered. "Daddy was more angry about the fact that I was moving up here with Jamie than the fact I was moving here at all."

"Eh?" Dee grinned. "What, was he worried JJ was going to hit on you?"

"Nope. Daddy's far more perceptive than that…" She glared down at JJ. "Didn't help that you started flirting with Alex."

JJ grinned.

"Who's Alex?" Ryo asked, rolling up his papers and hitting Dee. "Get back to work."

"Ow!" Dee sulked but dutifully returned to sludging through all the red tape he had built up.

"My brother."

"He's REALLY cute." Was JJ's contribution.

Josh blinked. "You didn't tell me you had a brother."

"I didn't?" She blinked. "That's odd…"

JJ snickered. "That's because she-" Danny hit him. "Stop that!"

"Leave Josh alone…"

"Is he older or younger than you?" Ryo was curious.

She made a face. "He's Hilde's son."

Ryo looked confused. JJ yanked his papers free of Danny's grasp and returned to work. "Her father married Hilde after Danny's mom died."

"So he's younger?"

"Not that much. Only a couple, three years." She shrugged. "He actually looks older than me."

"Well, you look like you're barely legal to drink so that probably isn't to hard for him."

She grinned and winked. "I wear my years well, it would seem."

"How old are you?"

"25."

"No kidding?"

"Nope. I don't lie about my age, not yet."

"So he's…"

"23." Danny blinked as she began to ring. "Who could be calling me now?" She pulled her cell phone out of a pocket and turned it on. "Hihi! Danny here."

'Hey, Danny, it's me.'

"Sean!" Danny grinned. "How did everything go?"

'Fine. Are you still at the station?"

"Yep."

'Could you tell Jamie that Hilde's going out to dinner with us tonight. His cell's off.'

Danny glared at JJ. "You didn't tell me you were going to dinner with Sean."

JJ sweatdropped. "I…forgot?"  
                'Oh, he's right there huh. Could you hand the phone over to him for a minute?'

"Not yet. Did you happen to ask if Alex came up too?"

'Damn! Knew I forgot something. I'll ask Hilde later.'

"How could you forget something like that?"

'Sorry…look, I've really got to talk to Jamie. Could you put him on?'

She sighed. "Fine, fine. Don't know why you bothered calling me if you just wanted to talk to him though."

'I told you, he had his phone turned off.'

"How sweet." She made a face then tossed the phone to JJ who yelped and fumbled with it. "Danny!"

"Sean wants to talk to you."

"Sean?" JJ immediately focused on the conversation over the phone. "Hey, Sean!"

Danny made a face. "I wonder if he's just switched obsessions."

Dee shrugged. "Long as it isn't me."

"That isn't very responsible of you."

Ryo sighed. "He's not a very responsible type of guy."

Danny laughed as Dee protested. She winked. "Guess it's a good thing he has you around to handle that kind of thing, hmm?"  
                Ryo sighed. "I guess."

Danny looked over at Josh, who was looking a bit worried. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't know you had a brother…"

"That changes things?"

"A lot…Fathers I can handle, but brothers…"

She sweatdropped. "That seems a bit backwards to me. He's not like you and Brett, you know."

"I know. Brothers are even more protective of sisters then they are other brothers."

"He's actually really sweet."

"Except when he's putting bullets in people's heads." JJ commented.

Danny nodded. "OK, except for than."

"Aw hell!"

"He can aim too." JJ smirked, then frowned into the receiver. "No, I'm not teasing Josh…Really!"

Josh snarled. "I'm not a damned sharpshooter, I don't have to shoot a fly off a wall at forty paces."

"Even JJ isn't that good."

"How about your brother?"

"He doesn't usually shoot, so I wouldn't know."

"Not usually?" Josh was obviously curious to know just what Alex did.

"He tends to deal with the inside stuff." She replied calmly.

"Inside stuff? Not that!"

"What?" Dee blinked.

"Snitches and the like?"

She nodded. Josh shuddered. "If he does that he's not nice."

"He is!"

"What're you talking about?" Dee frowned. Josh mimed shooting someone at about knee level. "I mean the execution type stuff. On police informants and the like."

"That's not all he does." Danny sweatdropped. "He mainly helps daddy out. Our people tend to be pretty loyal."

"What a surprise." Josh muttered. "I can never stand guys like that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've yet to meet anyone who could shoot his own guys who wasn't a total bastard."

 "He's only done it a couple times. They were extreme cases too."

"Still…" Josh was obviously upset about this revelation.

She sniffed. "Well, _I _like him."

"That's nice sweetie."

She made a face at him. "We've got dinner with daddy at seven, don't forget."

"I won't, I won't. Your brother going to be there?"

"Daddy didn't mention it."

"Would he?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"  
                "If he thought Alex would be there he'd mention it."

Josh made a face. "I don't like this. Not at all."

"At least give Alex a chance. He's a real sweetie. He even likes Jamie."

"And god knows that's hard."

JJ glared at him. "Bastard…No, no! I wasn't talking to you, Mr. Breit."

Josh snickered. Danny hit him on the shoulder. "Ask Daddy if Alex is up here."

"I'm getting there, Danny… Yes sir, she's right here…" He made a face and handed the phone back to Danny. "Your father wants to talk to you again."

She blinked. "What do you want, Daddy?"

'Nothing, really. I'd just rather talk to you then that idiot Adams.'            

"Daddy!" Danny made a face. "I like Jamie."

'I wonder about you sometimes dear.'

"That's just mean."

'What're you doing down at the station, anyways? That moron didn't actually arrest you, did he?'

"No, Daddy, Jamie didn't do anything. I'm here because I want to be."

'…That isn't funny darling, now tell me the truth.'

"It is the truth!"

'…You're going back to Miami with me.'

"Don't get started on that again Daddy. You know I can't leave right now. Sean would never agree to it either and I'm not leaving him behind." She made a face. "I'll tell you what, tomorrow evening why don't you go get drunk with Josh and Dee and Randy…"

'Who the hell are Dee and Randy?'

"Didn't Sean tell you anything?"

'He was busy filling me in about Laura.'

"…"

'So who's Dee?'

'Araa? Dee, isn't that he guy Jamie's so interested in?' Hilde's voice was muffled in the background.

'…I refuse.'

Danny sighed. "Things have changed a bit, Daddy. Besides, it was Jamie who liked Dee, not the other way around."

'That's totally understandable.'

"Be nice…"

There was a brief scuffle before Hilde cut in on the conversation. 'Now, dear, why don't you fill me in on everything.'

"You stay out of it!" Danny glared at the phone, anger immediately spiking.

'Don't be silly, as long as I'm here I might as well-'

"I said stay out of it! I mean it! You leave Sean and all the others alone!"

Hilde sounded hurt. 'Danny…'

"Put my father back on the line or I'm hanging up."

Sean took the phone. 'Danny…'

Danny sniffed. "I said dad…you'll do though."

'Gee, thanks. Why can't you just be nice to Hilde?'

"Stay out of it, Sean."

A sigh. 'If you insist…Listen, your brother's coming up on the next plane. We were headed to the airport but-'

"We'll get him!" Danny's mood swung back to perky as quickly as it'd left. "What time and where?"

'He'll be in at Laguardia in two hours.'

"I'll be there!" Danny was practically bouncing. "I haven't seen him in forever."

'…Your dad wants you to bring Josh with you.'

She looked down at Josh who sighed and nodded. "He says he'll go."

'He's right there too?' Another scuffle as her father took the phone. 'Danny, put that Josh boy on the line.'

"He was here earlier, you know."

'Insolent girl, why didn't you tell me?'

"You didn't ask. Anyway, here you go." She covered the receiver and spoke quietly. "Dirk Breit."

Josh nodded and took the phone. "Hello, Mr. Breit?"

"So Alex is coming up?" JJ asked.

Danny nodded. JJ grinned. "Can I go too?"

Dee held up a hand. "I wanna go too. Wanna meet this brother of yours."

Ryo frowned. "Dee, you still have work to do!"

"He comes in in two hours, can you get off that quickly?"

Dee winked. "Don't worry…"

*              *              *

Ryo sighed, walking down the corridors of Laguardia airport. "I can't believe I actually lied to the commissioner to get out of work."

Dee grinned. "What's wrong with that? We weren't doing that much back at the station anyway."

"Speak for yourself." Ryo frowned. "You need to take work more seriously!"

Danny laughed. "He wouldn't be Dee then, now would he?"

"Hey!" Dee looked affronted. "I can be serious."

"If you say so." Danny went back to watching the arrival listings.

Dee pouted, grabbing Ryo from behind. "What, you don't like me the way that I am?"

Ryo struggled half-heartedly. "I didn't say that."

Dee grinned, nuzzling Ryo's cheek. "Oh, really?"

"Dee!" Ryo blushed. "Stop that! We're in public!"

"Hee, Ryo, you're so cute when you blush." Dee smirked.

"Dee!" Ryo's blush darkened.

"HEY!" JJ yelled, startling them. He glared, obviously a bit upset. "I said, we have to get down to gate 9. Aren't you paying attention?"

"No." Dee admitted. Ryo elbowed him. "We'll be right along."

They managed to make it to the gate without too much trouble, although they did have a couple issues with security due to the fact that they were all carrying guns. Multiple guns in Josh's case. The guards had been uncompromising and made the two civilians hand their guns over to Ryo. Then they warned them to 'be careful' while they were in the airport. Strangely enough they'd seemed to be talking to Dee and JJ at that point too…

Anyway, they made it down to the gate with only minor amounts of trouble. They were actually early, the flight wasn't due in for another half hour. Josh sat in one of the chairs, Danny in his lap, JJ sitting beside them. Dee pulled Ryo into his lap, sitting in the chairs facing the other three. "So what's this Alex guy look like?"

Danny considered. "He doesn't look much like me…"

JJ grinned and launched into a description. "Dark brown hair, where he got that from with two blond parents I don't know, gorgeous blue eyes, he's tall and kind of wiry, tends to favor dark clothing."

Danny made a face at JJ. "I'm not so sure I like the fact you can provide such a description so easily."

JJ smirked at her. "Well, he is cute."

Danny sniffed.

Ryo frowned, shifting on Dee's lap to a more comfortable position. "We still don't know why they're here, do we?"

"Well, Daddy did mention that he'd been asking Sean about Laura."

"Wouldn't he have come up about that before?"

"I doubt it. From what I could make of it he didn't really plan on seeing me, so I think he just came up to ask Sean. He wouldn't do that until Sean had had awhile to recover from what happened."

"So why's your brother here?"

"Probably to see Danny." JJ offered. "I bet that's part of why Dirk's up here too."

Dee frowned. "Anyone else thirsty?"

"I'll go with you." Danny offered. Ryo waved her off. "no, we can handle it."

Danny smiled. "OK. I'll take a mocha."

"Espresso."

Josh made a face at JJ. "You don't need one."

"I like espressos."

"Well, I'll take…Hmm…If they have soda get me a coke or a rootbeer."

Dee nodded. "OK, mocha, espresso and a coke. Got it." He and Ryo stood and walked off.

Danny smiled. "They're so cute together."

JJ sniffed. "I don't think so."

Danny kicked Josh before he could say anything.

Dee and Ryo returned about five minutes later with the drinks and new people. Sean blinked. "Jamie, what're you all doing here? I thought it would just be Danny and Josh. Didn't you have to work?"

"Sean!" JJ pounced. Sean wobbled. "Jamie! I'm carrying coffee!"

"Oops! Sorry!" JJ apologized, grabbing the coffee and handing it off to Dee. "What're you doing here?"

Sean sweatdropped. "Well, I figured it would be nicer if Hil-"

"AHHH! You!"

Sean sighed. "Oh dear…"

Danny glared at Hilde, who sweatdropped. "What're you doing here?"

Dirk frowned at her. "We." He stressed the plural. "Are here to pick up Alex."

Danny sniffed. "I'm leaving then."

Josh gaped. "But we just got here? Aren't you even going to say hello?"

Danny shook her head. "I'm not staying here with her!"

Sean groaned. "Oh god."

Jamie frowned. "Why'd you bring them?"

"Hilde wanted to make sure someone was here, she wasn't sure Danny would get here in time." Sean sweatdropped. "I really wish you'd told me you were coming. It's bad enough with just-"

Dirk turned. "Sean, what're…YOU!" He pointed at JJ. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Danny scowled. "Daddy! Leave Jamie alone!"

Sean looked like he wished he could melt into the floor, or bash his head in on a wall,  or just be anywhere but there. He looked over at Dee and Ryo who were still carrying the coffee and looking confused. "Guess Alex won't have any trouble finding us. You might want to sit down, this'll take awhile."

JJ let Sean go, glaring right back at Dirk. "I'm here with Danny!"

"Daniela," Dirk stressed her real name. "Doesn't need a two-bit cop like you."

JJ fumed. Before he could say anything Sean put a hand on his shoulder. "Shouldn't you introduce the others?"

Dee and Ryo were currently staring in shock at Danny, who looked about ready to really stalk out as she glared at Hilde. Dirk turned his attention over to them as Sean whispered frantically in JJ's ear, trying to calm him down. Dirk frowned. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Dee Laytner."

"Randy McLane. Nice to meet you."

Dirk frowned. "More cops?"

"Yeah."

Dirk shook his head and turned back to Danny. "She's really gotten herself in an interesting situation here. Daniela!"

"What?" She immediately cut off what she was saying as he called her.

"Remember you're in public, dear."

She sniffed and turned her back on Hilde. Dirk sighed, then focused on Josh, who looked about as shocked as Dee and Ryo were. "You must be Josh Raven."

"Yeah…"

Dirk sighed as he watched Josh watch Danny with slightly scared eyes. Sean smiled. "You'll have to forgive Josh. I think Danny's behavior's surprised him."

"She does have a rather intense hatred of Hilde, now doesn't she?" He shrugged then spoke in a louder voice. "I recommend that we all at least try to appear human for when Alex arrives. He may already know about your impressive fits of rage darling but you should at least be civil. He hasn't seen you in years, who knows he may believe you've changed."

Danny made a face but didn't retort. She didn't say anything, actually, which was in itself highly unusual. Hilde merely turned back to her husband. When she spoke her voice was cool and controlled. "Perhaps I should wait in the car."

"If you wish." He shrugged. Then he smiled. "Daniela, come give your father a hug."

She turned and actually smiled, running over to glomp him. "I missed you Daddy."

"I missed you too sweetie. Did you absolutely have to move up here to New York? You know how I hate this place."

"Laura insisted."

"…I see…" He looked back over his shoulder at Sean, still hugging Danny. "How is everything going, anyway?"

Sean smiled. "It's going good, actually. Been very busy lately. Between me and Josh and Brett we've got everything covered easily."

Dirk nodded. "Good. I was going to recommend a good assistant." He smiled. "But I see that's taken care of."

JJ and Hilde watched the father-daughter pair with identically emotionless expressions on their face. However when Sean patted JJ on the arm the cop smiled and attached himself to Sean's arm. Sean blinked. "Jamie…"

JJ went back to watching the pair, now a bit angry. Sean sighed. Josh, Dee and Ryo were just confused, watching everyone.

Then the plane arrived…

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	11. 

False Impressions 2 chapter 3

Ch 3

Ryo scanned the crowd exiting the plane. "Ne, Dee…"

"Hmm?"

"How're we supposed to tell who Alex is?"

"Well… he'll probably recognize this group." Dee pointed over his shoulder at the Breits, JJ and Sean. "And if we keep talking about him he'll probably figure it out."

Ryo sweatdropped. "They certainly do stand out don't they…"

"We're lucky security hasn't shown up. Wonder why her old man doesn't like JJ?"

Ryo shrugged. "I don't know, but if she acts this way every time she sees that Hilde woman no wonder JJ insisted they move up here. I wonder why they don't get along?"

"It's a really long story and I don't think you have time to hear it."

The cops jumped and spun to see a man standing behind them, watching them with amused blue eyes. Dee grinned. "You must be Alex."

"And since I haven't talked to my half-sister in months I have no clue who you are." Alex held out a hand. "Alex Breit."

"I'm Dee Laytner and this is my partner Ryo."

Ryo nudged him. "Randy McLane."

"Strange nickname. Are you Japanese?"

Ryo sighed. "Half."

Alex was about to say something else when he cut himself off and grinned. "Well, well, looks like everyone showed up." He waved at his family who all waved back. Sean did his best to wave but still had a JJ hanging on his arm. Alex raised an eyebrow. "What's this?" He looked over at Dee. "Did you finally manage to get rid of the Adams boy obsession with you?"

Dee shrugged. "Looks like it."

Alex looked back over at the group. "Who's the other new guy?"  
                "Josh!" Danny proclaimed, latching her arms around Dee's neck and grinning over his shoulder at Alex. "My boyfriend."

"You've got a boyfriend, JJ, Sean and a guy who lets you pounce him. I'd say you've done pretty good up here."

"They're all cute too!" Danny grinned.

Alex smirked. "I noticed." He kissed Danny's cheeks as she moved to pounce him instead. "Still haven't gotten over that habit, have you?"

"I'm an enthusiast." She replied simply.

"I noticed that too." He smiled as the others walked up to them. "Hello. As you've probably already guessed, or knew before, I'm Alex Breit."

Josh nodded, eyeing him speculatively. "Josh Raven."

"I know. The couple here's been filling me in."

Ryo blinked, then sweatdropped. Dee grinned and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Danny hummed, toying with Alex's lapel. "What are you really doing up here, anyway?"

"Hasn't father filled you in yet?"

Dirk shook his head. "Barely had a chance."

"You got here yesterday."

"I had a few questions for Sean first."

"Oh. Well…That's another long story, better save it for later." He wrapped one arm around Danny and the other around Sean. "We'd better get going before someone steals my bags."

They all walked off in one long, straggling group. Dee grabbed JJ's sleeve, tugging him back to walk alongside him and Ryo. "Give me the whole story about Alex."

"What about him?"

"He obviously knows Sean pretty well."

"They all know Sean pretty well. Hilde mothers him all the time."

"But how?"

JJ shrugged. "He and Danny don't talk about their pasts much. He wasn't a criminal though, that much I know."

Dee sniffed. "The lone innocent, it seems."

"I guess… As far as I can tell he's known the family for a long time. He already knew Laura and Danny when I first met them."

"Do you know how he got involved with them?"

"No. He's even more silent about his past than Danny is."

"Still, you've known him pretty well for years. You don't know anything?"

"I know he first met Danny around when they were both around 18, he didn't start dating Laura until a couple years ago, he graduated from college, his family's fairly rich and he has no criminal record."

"That's it?" Dee frowned. "That's not very much."

"We don't talk about stuff that happened before we met."

"Did he have a tragic childhood or something?" Ryo was curious.

"I don't think so. He's never mentioned one."

"So what would a nice, normal guy like him be doing hanging around with you and Danny?"

JJ glared at Ryo, voice acidic. "Perhaps because he likes us?"

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Dee watched the group ahead of them for a minute as they walked. Alex still had his arms around Sean and Danny and all three were talking and laughing. Dirk and Hilde walked behind them, talking to Josh. His eyes narrowed as he focused on Sean and Alex. "I think I have an idea of why Sean ended up joining them…"

"Eh?" 

He pointed at Alex, who was intent on something Sean was saying. "Looks like Danny's bad luck with men extends even to her brother."

"Huh?" The other two stared at him, confused.

"I mean…" Dee grinned tauntingly at JJ. "You've got competition, gay boy."

JJ blinked. "Competition?" He looked back up at Alex and Sean and slowly sweatdropped. "…SHIT!"

Ryo looked confused as Dee laughed. "What's wrong, JJ?"

JJ waved for Danny to join them as she looked back to check on them. She excused herself and waited for them to catch up. "Wassup?"

JJ pointed at Alex. "He was his boyfriend, wasn't he?"

"Jamie, I'm sorry but that went right over my head. Who was whose boyfriend?"  
                "Alex was Sean's."

"Yeah."

He simply stared at her for a minute. She slowly sweatdropped. "What about it?"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" JJ looked about ready to explode.

"You didn't know?"

"How can I know if you don't tell me?"

"I thought Sean did."

"Hey, hey, what's this?" Now Dee was confused again.

Danny shrugged. "After Laura introduced us to Sean Alex started dating him. They were pretty steady till a few years ago when…" She trailed off, thinking. "I'm not sure what happened, really."

"You didn't notice anything wrong?"

She shrugged. "I'd just started living with Jamie. We were busy getting used to each other. Anyway, something happened and they broke up for a bit. Sean was single for a bit then went out with Laura a few times. Then Alex changed his mind, or something, so they got together again." She shrugged. "The way things stood when I left he hadn't gotten exclusive with Alex again, he was still going out with Laura too."

"Double timing?"

"They both knew. I don't think he was too serious with Laura then and whatever had broken him up with Alex in the first place obviously hadn't been resolved."

"So what about now?"

"I don't know. He offered to come up with me, Jamie and Laura when we first came up."

"Hmmm…" JJ watched Alex and Sean, who'd moved back to talk to Dirk and Hilde. "I wonder why they broke up…"

Dee looked at him then at Danny. "You know, don't you?"

She grinned and winked. "Me?" She put on her best wide-eyed innocent look. "What would a little girl like me know?"

Dee snorted. "You know more then you let on, girl." He ruffled her hair.

She laughed. "Perhaps." She dashed over to JJ, tugging on his sleeve. "Ne, Jamie…"

"What?"

"Let's all go to dinner together!"

"…You've got to be kidding me."

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Please!"

"No."

"Please! Please, please, please!" She locked her arms around his neck. "I'll make daddy promise to behave."

"Dinner with your father and Josh is the last thing I want."

"Pleeeeeease!"

"No means no."

She pouted. "Come on! It'll be fun! Alex will just end up going with you and Sean, you know."

JJ made a face. "Why should I care about that?"

"Cause you like Sean." The cat ears were back. Ryo almost swore he could see a wagging tail too. "Come on!"

"I said no!"

She sniffled, looking up at him with big eyes. "Please."

"…You said you weren't going to do that again."

"Unless it mattered. And it does."

"Why?" JJ shook his head. "It's a stupid idea."

She pouted. "Why don't you just go?"

"That should be pretty obvious. You're going to argue with Hilde all evening, your father hates me and I don't like him or Josh."

"I told you, I'd make daddy promise to behave."

"But will you?"

"He'll make me promise to behave in return. I always keep my promises to daddy."

"I know." JJ's voice had a strange tinge of bitterness to it.

"So come!" She grabbed him by the arm.

He sighed. "Fine!"

"Yay!" She glomped him. "Thanks!" She looked over at Dee and Ryo and grinned. "You're coming too, right?"

"Eh?" Ryo blinked. "Us?"

"Sounds good to me, but…" Dee sighed. "Carol's heading out of town to visit some relatives this weekend and wants to have dinner with us before she leaves."

Danny pouted. "Well, can't argue with that."

JJ patted her on the head. "Why don't you ask her and Bikky to come along too?"

"Would that be OK?"

Danny considered. "Ah, why not. Do they like Italian food?"

Ryo nodded.

She clapped her hands together. "Then it's set! Let's meet at seven at Joanna's over on 92nd street. That OK with you?"

"Sure. We'll be there."

"Great."

"Are you leaving?"

"Daddy wants to talk to me and the others are going to help Alex settle in at the hotel. I figured you two would probably rather go home for a bit." She winked. Dee grinned. "So," She turned to JJ. "I'm going back to the hotel with daddy, in case you want to head back to our place."

He sighed. "Just dumping me, huh?"

"Would you rather hang around with Daddy?"

"…Never mind."

She grinned. "I didn't think so. Josh is going with Hilde and Alex but Sean's busy so you probably don't want to go with them either."

He feigned indifference. "I wasn't planning on going with them anyway."

"Of course not."

He shrugged. "I should probably go back and clean the place up a bit."

She nodded. "Good idea. Stock the fridge too, would ya? And we'll need some alcohol and…"

"Should I make a list?"

"Nah. Just remember food and alcohol."

"Who could forget that?" He waved.

"You probably could. Don't forget Daddy likes Jack Daniels."

"What about Alex?"

"He usually drinks whatever Sean or Daddy is drinking."

"OK."

Dee laughed at them, earning him a pair of annoyed looks. Danny hit him lightly on the shoulder. "What's so funny?"

"You two act like a married couple."

She made a face at him. "No, we don't argue enough." She peered around and sweatdropped. The only one nearby was Dirk, who was standing nearby watching them and looking amused. "Oops. We took to long, they already went off without us."

Dee kissed her cheek. "Well, we're off too. Better go see if we can find Bikky and Carol to tell them about the change of plans."

Ryo waved. "We'll see you at seven."

Danny smiled as they walked off. "They really are too cute together." Turning back to JJ she poked him in the chest. "Try not to forget anything, OK? Get snacks and alcohol, at least."

"I know, I know!"

She waved. "Well, I better go then." Dirk was beginning to look annoyed, now that it was only the three of them. "See you later Jamie." She kissed him on cheek then ran off to join her father who was glaring at JJ.

JJ stood alone in the airport for a minute, raising one hand to his cheek. "…" He shook his head. "Guess I better get going…" He looked around. "Where's the nearest exit? Airports are so confusing…"

*              *                *

"Eh? Dinner with Danny and her family?"

"And Josh and Sean and JJ, yeah." Ryo frowned, brushing some dust off his jacket.

Bikky cheered. "Yeah!! Carol's coming too?"

"Dee's on the phone with her right now. Getting permission from her aunt."

"Do we have to dress up?"

"She didn't mention it so I don't think we have to worry about it too much. Try to look nice though."

"Of course!" Bikky sounded offended. "When are we eating?"  
                "We're meeting them at the restaurant at seven. It's an Italian place."

"That's cool…" Bikky looked at the clock and made a face. "I better go shower." He glared at Ryo. "You should've told me earlier!"

Ryo sweatdropped. "We couldn't find you and we had to get ready ourselves, you know."

"Bah." Bikky waved him off. He ran out the door, nearly hitting Dee with it in his excitement. He glared up at the other cop. "The bathroom's mine for the next hour!" Then he was gone.

 "Brat…" Dee looked over at Ryo who was searching through his closet. "Just throw something on, you'll be fine. Well, as long as you make sure it's color-coordinated and not too ragged."

"It's not that easy, you know."

'Sure it is."

Ryo set the coat down. "Not everyone's as casual as you, Dee."  
                Dee shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You look good in whatever you wear."

"Dee…"

"Hmm?" Dee peered into the closet, riffling through the shirts. "Something wrong?"

"N-No…"

Dee pulled out a couple of shirts. "Really?"

"Really."

Dee watched him for a minute. "Hn." He laid the shirts out on the bed and frowned, considering. Ryo watched him for a minute as reached first towards one then the other, then pulled back, thinking. He hid a laugh and snuck up behind Dee, wrapping his arms around him. "And here you are complaining that I'm taking my time choosing."

"As long as you're taking your time I might as well." Dee retorted.

"Hmm…" Ryo breathed in Dee's ear. "The black one looks better on you."

Dee turned and kissed him. "And of course…" He sat on the edge of the bed pulling Ryo into his lap. "You'd know."

Ryo didn't bother replying verbally, kissing Dee back and tangling one hand in his hair the other resting on his stomach. Dee concentrated on Ryo's shirt, unbuttoning it. He managed to get it totally undone, despite considerable distraction, and pulled it off, moving down to kiss Ryo's throat. Ryo groaned, throwing his head back and arching against Dee as the other man began to work on his belt buckle and… the door burst open and Bikky wandered in, drying his hair with a towel. Ryo yelped and squirmed, causing Dee to lose his balance and both of them to fall onto the bed. Dee blinked at him. "Wha-?"

"Bi-Bikky…" Ryo struggled to stand but tripped on his own pants and nearly brained himself on the dresser. He managed to land undamaged on the floor but his feet were caught in his trousers which were down around his ankles. When the hell had Dee…

"You OK?" Dee helped the blushing Ryo up. Ryo nodded.

Bikky, who hadn't seen anything due to the towel over his head, was searching the dressers and tables. "Where'd that brush go?"

Dee frowned, watching him wander around. He muttered under his breath. "I hate kids…" Then walked over and grabbed the towel, vigorously working it through Bikky's hair. Bikky, of course, protested violently but Dee ignored him, drying his hair off and tossing the towel into the corner. He pulled a brush out of a dresser drawer. "Here, but bring it back."

Bikky made a face at him but was firmly pushed out the door by Dee. Ryo sighed. "Thanks…"

Dee shrugged then went back over to the bed. "So…the black one you think?"

Ryo stared at him helplessly. Of course, Dee wasn't the one with his pants around his ankles but shouldn't he be just a little upset? "Yeah."

Dee picked up the other one and returned it to the closet. He tossed a white polo shirt and some khakis over to Ryo, pulling out some black Dockers for himself. "That should work, you think?" He quickly changed into the Dockers and a white tanktop, pulling on the black shirt and leaving it half unbuttoned. He posed. "Well?"

Ryo smiled. "You look good." He went back to working on his shirt, the collar button was causing him problems. Dee pouted. "You didn't even really look." He walked over to help Ryo with the collar button. "Lean your head back a bit…There we go."

*flash click*

The pair blinked and turned to see Carol sitting on the bed, camera in hand. The girl grinned. "Caught on film!"

"You sure got here fast." Dee replied, not stepping back from Ryo.

"It doesn't take me that long to get here, you know."

Dee shrugged. "Yeah, but girls always seem to take forever getting dressed."

Carol grinned, turning in a circle to show off her outfit. She was wearing a deceptively simple outfit. Black pants, boots and a midriff-baring tee with a short, black jean coat. "Yeah, but Danny got me this outfit and I hadn't worn it yet. This seemed the perfect chance."

Dee nodded, looking her over. "Very nice." She preened. "Danny got that for you, huh?"

"Yeah. It's an outfit from her new shirt." Carol grinned. "It's actually not available in the stores yet."

"Doesn't look all that new to me."

Carol frowned at him, lifting her foot. She pointed at her ankles. "It's all in the cut. It looks simple but really it isn't."

Dee laughed. "You sound like a fashion designer."

Carol shrugged. "Danny's been letting me help out a bit. I'm Sean's assistant, sort of." She grinned proudly.

Ryo smiled. "That sounds like fun." His voice turned warning. "But don't start skipping school because of it."

She laughed. "I wouldn't! Sean and Josh would never let me get away with it, anyways."

"They'd better not."

"Anyway," Carol hopped off the bed and ran over to hug Ryo. "Thanks for inviting me along."

"It wasn't us. Danny's the one who's arranging everything." Dee sprawled on the bed. "So we're just waiting for Bikky?"

Carol laughed. "He'll be awhile. He's trying to look really good." She frowned at Dee. "…Do you have a brush?"

Dee started to gesture at the dresser then paused. "No, Bikky has that one…Check the bathroom, he probably just missed it."

She nodded and ran out of the room. Ryo sat on the bed beside Dee. "We might actually be early."

"For once."

Carol returned a minute later carrying not only the brush but a few other hair care products. Ryo knew they didn't have hair spray and gel and mousse in the house, so she must've brought at least a few of the things with her. She stood beside the bed and pointed imperiously at Dee, directing him to sit on the edge of the bed. To Ryo's surprise he actually did so.

Carol played with the hem of Dee's satiny shirt. "Where'd you get this?"

"Danny." Dee grinned. "I think she's decided to make us all fashionable."

Carol giggled, unbuttoning Dee's shirt. He raised an eyebrow but didn't move to stop her. She stepped back and nodded. "Much better." She then grabbed her brush and went to work on Dee's hair. Dee sighed, a long-suffering sound. "I guess Danny isn't the only one set on making me over."

Carol hit him lightly with the brush. "Be nice or I'll get out the make-up."

"…That's not funny."

Carol grinned, tracing the brush along his cheekbone. "No, really. A bit of blush, maybe some eye shadow…"

"No way! I'll let you play with my hair and clothing but no makeup!"

"Fine, fine." Carol went back to work. Ryo laughed, watching them. She turned to look him over. "… You need something dark."

"Eh?" Ryo blinked. "Me?"

"He looks better in light colors." Dee offered up an excuse.

"Yeah, but you two aren't really complimentary like that. You should be coordinated." She frowned, pondering. Dee patted her on the head. "He doesn't have time for one of your makeovers, we have to leave in ten minutes."

She pouted but grabbed her supplies and ran off. "OK, I'll hurry up then."

Dee blinked. "I thought she was done already?" He shook his head. "I'll never understand girls."

Ryo shrugged, moving to sit by him. "I wonder if Bikky's ready yet?"

They heard a brief scuffle outside as Carol tried to kick Bikky out of the bathroom. Dee sighed. "Kids…" He grabbed Ryo and pulled him into his lap, resting his chin on his shoulder. Ryo smiled and leaned back against Dee. "I think it's sweet she went to that trouble although… You don't really look that much different."

Dee snorted. "Probably changed how my hair was folded, or some such nonsense."

"I guess." Ryo smiled, tracing a finger down Dee's chin. "You do look good though."

Dee kissed him. "You look absolutely delicious."

Outside the bedroom the kids continued to argue even as they got ready. Ryo smiled, leaning into the kiss and wrapping an arm around Dee's neck. They might not be a traditional family but that just made things better sometimes.

End part 3

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	12. FI2 Reflections

False Impressions 2 part 4

Part 4

"So why are you up here, Daddy?"

"Just checking on you." Dirk sipped his drink. They were sitting in the hotel bar drinking together.

"You didn't come all the way up here just to check on me daddy."

"Whatever makes you say that?"

"Alex said it was a 'long story' so there's something behind it."

"Well…" Dirk sighed. "It was really a combination of things. Hilde wanted to go on vacation, Alex missed you and Sean-"

"Mostly Sean."

"Don't be smart dear."

"Yes daddy." She replied cheekily.

"I should spank you."

"You haven't spanked me in years."

"You're about due for another one…Anyway, there were a number of reasons for me to come here."

"Did you have to bring Hilde though?"

"Yes."

Danny sulked, playing with her straw.

"You should really try to get along with her, you know."

"I don't like her."

"Why on earth not? She's a very nice woman."

"You're married to her. You're supposed to think that."

He shrugged. "I suppose. Who were your new friends?"

"Dee and Randy…Everyone calls Randy Ryo though, cause it's his Japanese name."

"And you met them how?"

"Well…" She shifted in her chair. "I was coming back home one day and I kind of got into trouble. Bikky helped me out though, so I ended up at Randy's place, and Dee was there of course, and I really liked them, and they knew Jamie too and…well…it's all a very long story."

"And what kind of trouble was this?"

"I almost got robbed." He glared at her. She shrugged. "It was just momentary carelessness. I was almost home and I was tired."

"…I see your luck with men is still holding out."

"Josh 'n Brett are straight. Bikky too, though he's far too young and Carol's pretty much got him for herself."

"Brett?"

"Josh's older brother."

"Is he an assassin too?"

"Yeah. They're pretty much freelancers, they have a few buddies they work with sometimes."

"And family?"  
She shrugged. "As far as I know they're their own family."

"Hmmm. I'll have my people look them up."

"I figured you would."

"Your being cheeky again dear."

"When aren't I?"

"That's a distressingly good point."

"Be nice daddy."

"I am being nice." He finished off the glass and waved the bartender over to refill it. "Where are we going for dinner again?"

"An Italian place."

"I see…"

"I figured it was our best bet for getting everyone to agree to go."

"Will this Brett guy be there?"

"I don't know. I can call him, if you want?"

"No that's all right."

"How's everything at home?"

"Same as ever. The FBI's been harrying us a bit more than usual though."

"Probably that Diana girls fault. She showed up here today."

"Really? Why was she here?"

"I don't know. She seemed pretty surprised to see me. She knew you were here though." Danny frowned at him. "Even before I knew. If Sean hadn't told Josh she would've been the one telling me."

"Alex was hoping to surprise you."

"Poor 'lexie."

"Indeed…" He looked at the clock on the far wall. "Hmm…Did you need to freshen up before dinner?"

She turned and looked herself. "I probably should." She stood and kissed his cheek. "I'm gonna run back to my place and change. You know the address?"

He held up the paper she'd written the directions on. "I'll be there at seven."

She nodded. "Goodbye then."

He smiled after her as she ran out the door then took his cell phone out of his pocket. He hit redial, then waited for the connection to go through. "…Franz?…Yes, it's me. Look, I need you to do something big down there. I have an FBI agent I need out of this city and killing her isn't an option… Do what you need to do. It's a female agent, currently in New York here with me. Her name's Diana. She apparently followed me up here and is bothering Danny… Actually, she managed to find a straight guy somehow. He seemed a bit shocked at her behavior, Hilde was unfortunately around. I didn't really get to talk to him… I haven't gotten any new news yet but I haven't really had a chance to sniff around. Have you found anything?… She doesn't know about it herself but I have Alex up here to be around in case she needs any help. Keep an ear out for any news down there. Something about this seems odd to me… You'd think they'd learn, wouldn't you? Oh well." He smiled grimly. "If they do decide to go through with it they'll be another example not to even think about harming my daughter."

***

"Sean!"

Sean blinked and turned. "Tasha?"

The brunette model kissed his cheeks. "Where have you been? You were missing all day."

He smiled. "Danny's family came up and her father wanted to talk to me."

"Eh?" Tasha blinked. "Her family?" She made a face. "I guess this means she'll be taking more time off work."

"I guess…"

"She's never going to be big if she keeps skipping out on the job."

"Actually, I'm taking care of that now. She'll work a few hours a day but things are pretty quiet right now."

"You're so industrious." Tasha grinned at him.

"Not really…" He smiled. "I get the time off too, you know."

She laughed. "Being sneaky, hmm? And just why do you want time off?"

"I like her family."

"So who all came up?"

"You've met them?"

"Not yet."

"Well, her father Dirk-"

"Dirk?"

He shrugged. "He's German." As if that explained it.

"Ohhhh…"

"Anyway, Dirk and Hilde, Danny's step mother, came up yesterday. I met with her father this morning, he wanted to know all about what had been gong on up here. Then today Alex came up and-"

"Who's Alex?"

"Her brother."

"Oooh! She has a brother? How old is he? Does he look like her?"

"He's 23. He doesn't look that much like her, they have different mothers. He's all German."

"Mmm." Tasha pouted. "That stinks. Spanish people have that…ooh…look about them."

"He doesn't look very German though. Not with that dark hair of his."

"So, when're they coming down here?"

"Hopefully never."

Tasha looked shocked. "Why, Sean, what a thing to say!"

"I didn't mean it like that, Tash. It's just…Danny and Hilde don't get along very well."

"Oh…I see."

"Actually, you really don't want to." He sighed. "Hilde's so sweet I just can't understand why Danny hates her so much."

"She's her stepmother, right?"

"Yeah, but she's been married to Dirk since Danny was a year old."

"She doesn't remember her real mother?"

"She died less than a month after she was born, so I don't see how she could."

"Hmm…mysterious… When did Dirk remarry?"

Sean thought awhile. "About a year later, I'm not sure exactly how long. They don't talk about it very often. Dirk really loved his first wife."

"But not his second?"

"He does love Hilde, but…" Sean shrugged. "I get the feeling he loved his first wife more."

"Is he nice to Danny?"

Sean wrinkled his nose. "She's even more spoiled then I am."

"I didn't know that was possible!"

"Hey!"

She laughed. "You're so easy to tease. Does she care about her father?"

"They adore each other. Of course…"

"He hates Jamie?"

"How'd you know that?"

"You're surrounded by possessive, jealous people, Sean. Everyone seems to hate their loved ones loved ones."

"I guess…"

"So, tell me more about Alex."

"Alex? What about him?"

"Is he gay?"

"You get right to the point, don't you?"

"Why waste time? Is he?"

"Yeah…"

She pouted. "No fair…does he date girls at all?"

"I wouldn't know that."

"But you would know that he dates guys."

"…"

She grinned impishly. "And just how do you know that, Sean?"

He grinned back. "Because he's how I met Danny."

"And Laura."

His face darkened. "Yeah…"

"Why on earth did you move up here if you were dating him?"

"We broke up, kind of."

"Kind of?"  
"We weren't really serious anymore."  
"Anymore?"

"…"

"What happened?"

Sean grabbed his cell phone out of his drawer. "…"

"You can tell me! Come on, I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

"Are you challenging Danny then?"

"I know better then that, thank you. Anyway, tell! Tell!"

He shrugged. "It was nothing, really."

"You don't break up with a guy over nothing. Especially not someone as stubborn as you. What, did you say something he didn't like?"

"No."

"Did you do something he didn't like?"

"…Kind of…"

"You didn't have an affair, did you?"

"Of course not."

"Did he?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then why?"  
"Ask Danny." He grabbed his wallet and papers off the desk, heading for the door.

"Sean!…" She grabbed his hand. "When did you break up with him?"

"When I moved up here, of course."

"When did you break up with him seriously…"

"Why?"

"Because…If I know when you broke up with him I'll know why you did, won't I?"

He yanked his hand free. "Maybe, maybe not."

"I don't even really need to ask, now do I?"

He glared at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How long ago did you meet JJ, Sean? Didn't you know him for awhile before you all moved up here?"

"I met him after he moved in with Danny, of course. So yeah, I knew him for awhile before I moved here."

She smirked. "Alex doesn't like JJ much either, does he?"

Sean blinked, she'd obviously thrown him off balance a bit. "Well, no, now that you mention it…"

"Let me guess… you broke up seriously with Alex a few weeks after you met JJ, didn't you?"

"A month and a half, actually." Sean bit his tongue. She laughed and pointed. "I knew it!"

"What?"

"Why he broke up with you!"

"And why is that?"

"He broke up with you because-"

"HEY!" Brett burst into the room. "Is Josh here?"

Sean jumped, eyes wide. "Brett? You scared me!"

"I knocked…didn't I?" Brett frowned.

Sean sweatdropped. "Josh isn't here. He's with Alex-"

"You should've had them all come down here!" Tasha smirked evilly at Sean. "It would've been fun!"

"Alex just got here. He went to move into his hotel room. Josh and Hilde went to help him."

"Damn. I need some help on a job." Brett eyed Sean speculatively. "Can you aim? Not that Josh can, but…"

"I can't shoot period." Sean checked his beeper. "I have to run, we're all going out to dinner." He waved to Tasha who pouted.

"Leaving already?" She grinned. "Dressing up for Alex, or maybe…"

"You're even worse than Danny, you know." Brett moved so Sean could leave. "I'll see you two later."

"Bye!" Brett waved cheerfully. He turned to Tasha. "Hello…"

She made a face at him. "I don't suppose you know anything about Danny's family?"

"Her family?" He blinked. "Hey, she would have a family, wouldn't she…Man, never thought about that. Wonder what they're like."

Tasha sighed. "Men…"

"What? Did I say something?"

***

"Jamie!" Danny burst through the door, dropping her purse on the table. "You here?"

"Yeah?" He turned from the TV. "I thought you were out with Dirk?"

"Need to change. Did you go shopping?"

"Yeah. Lots of alcohol and snacks. Some real food too."

"Good." She kicked her shoes off, running into her room. She left the door open so they didn't have to shout. "Has Sean called?"

"No, was he supposed to?"

"No. Just wondering. He went back to move things around so I can spend time with Daddy and Alex."

JJ frowned. Alex…

"Did anyone call?"

"You had one message. Sasha called, she wanted to see if you were free tomorrow."

"Answering machine?"

"Yeah."

"I'll call her later. Did she leave her number?"

"No but Sean probably has it."

"Sean has everyone's number."

"Seems like it."

"You ready to go?"

He looked down at himself. "I think I look fine."

She peered around the edge of her door and looked him over. "…You'll do."

"What's that mean?"  
Her head disappeared. "You look OK."

"But not good?"

"You look all right."

"But not good."

"Your colors are a bit off."

He looked in a mirror. "How so?"

"Nevermind." She emerged from her room, brush in hand. She'd changed into her blue Chinese evening dress. "You'll be OK."

"But I don't look good."

"You know how hard I am to please." She disappeared into the bathroom. "Hey, where'd my hairspray go?"

"Did you run out?"

"It was right here this morning." She rushed back out. "Where did it go…"

"Did you look in your room?"

"I was just there, remember?"  
"You weren't looking for it then though."

She made a face at him but went to her room to check. A few minutes later she stalked back across the room, holding the hairspray bottle in her hands. "Say nothing…"

He simply grinned. She shut the door just a bit harder then was absolutely necessary."

He turned back to the mirror. "…I bet Alex'll look 'good'." He scowled then walked towards his bedroom. "All right, what's clean…"

"Are you changing?"

"Yeah…"

"I told you, don't worry about it. You'll be OK."

"I've got time."

"If you say so…We can't be late though, remember."

"I said, I have time."

"Ok, Ok." She walked out, tossing the brush to him. "Fix your hair."

"What's wrong with it."

"Nothing." She smiled sarcastically. "It looks all right."

He made a face at her. "Very funny."

She shrugged and headed into the kitchen. "Hurry up. You have barely a half-hour."

"I know what time it is!"

"Then why're you wasting it arguing with me?"

He bit back his reply and shut his door. She shook her head and searched the fridge and cupboards. "…It'll do, I guess. I'll go myself tomorrow."

She turned to watch JJ's door. "I wonder what's gotten him so upset?"

***

Alex sighed, staring into the mirror. His mother and Josh were in the main room, unpacking and chatting. He didn't think they'd even paused once. It was nice that Hilde actually liked him, but really… Quiet was at least occasionally nice.

Now they were out there talking about family relationships and personality. Josh had a seemingly endless stream of stories about him and his brother and Hilde kept prying him about his parents. Not that the guy would say much anything about them. Alex made a note to get someone to look them up. The Raven name wasn't familiar to him but he knew nothing about how things stood here in New York. Which was really his problem… well, one of them. If he knew the people and groups up here he probably wouldn't even need to be here. Criminals were so predictable. As long as you paid attention it was really easy to figure out who'd done, or would do, a specific crime. Motives and methods were all so obvious…

Oh well, at least things were new up here. Everything in Miami and LA was so predictable…Now that _they _had left… Sean and Danny…

He shook his head, adjusting his shirt collar. He'd dressed up all nice, made sure he looked as good as he possibly could which, he knew from experience, was very good indeed and still nothing. He hadn't exactly expected Danny to say anything, she had a taste for good-looking things but he was her brother after all. Not a full brother but she pretty much considered him one… And Sean…

He glared, fit to kill. Sean had barely said anything, really. Sure he'd been able to talk to him and Danny for a few minutes but as soon as he'd gotten the chance Sean had fled, claiming work. The rest of the time…

He reached involuntarily towards his gun. The rest of the time he'd had that little bastard of a cop hanging on him. JJ…No, his eyes narrowed, Sean had been calling him Jamie. Only Danny called that idiot, he had to agree with his stepfather on that if not much else, Jamie. And Danny hadn't even noticed, so he had to have switched awhile ago. But he hadn't said anything about going out with Adams…And either he or Danny would have.

He sat on the edge of the tub, inspecting his gun absently. His mind was busy turning over just what Sean and his sister had and hadn't said. Nothing about Laura, which was to be expected. They'd really liked that frozen bitch. He mimed shooting someone. He'd never understood that. Why would Sean, the nicest and warmest person Alex had ever met, fall for the Ice Queen? He hadn't been able to do anything to stop it though, since he'd been out of favor with Sean at the time.

He made a face. Out of favor…Pushed out. By a little upstart cop! Why, why, WHY did Sean care about that loser? He wasn't that cute, he was a horrible drunk, he was hideously possessive and no one else, other than Danny, really liked him. Even Hilde and Laura hadn't cared much for him.

He sighed, thumbing the safety on and off absently. Why the hell did Sean care about that Jamie brat? He'd said, even then, that he didn't but…

WHY?! Sean didn't settle for second, not in anything. That brat had been so caught up in that Dee fellow, who was admittedly pretty damn hot, that it'd been obvious that everyone and everything else, even Danny and most definitely Sean himself, were a distant second. Very distant. Unimportantly distant. So why…

JJ hadn't flirted too particularly with him, he'd seemed to have a bit of a crush but had been so caught up in his obsession to really do anything about it. He'd never gone out with Sean, they had nothing in common. So why…

He aimed at his reflection in the mirror. He was going to drive himself insane with this. He'd just have to do something about it, that's all. Take 'Jamie' out of the picture entirely. Sean wouldn't accept second best and neither would he. He wouldn't accept anything but Sean, all of him. He wouldn't share even a bit with Adams. Danny, sure. Adams…He squeezed the trigger, nearly shooting. No way in hell. Sean was his! Had been his, before that rookie had shown up to try and destroy their lives.

Why had Sean taken to the little bastard? He hadn't been mad at Alex, nothing had changed. But suddenly he'd been a little less enthusiastic about spending time alone with him, a bit more about hanging around with Danny and JJ. He'd even taken the ass under his wing, sort of. The boy wouldn't have made it the week without getting himself shot if Sean hadn't cared. Danny didn't, not that early. She'd been caught up in her own life. Dirk would've had him dead and buried if Sean hadn't said, said!, that he liked the boy. Sean didn't say stuff like that. Sean didn't like anyone, outside their family. Hell, he barely even liked his own as far as Alex could tell. So why?

Why, why, why, why, WHY?!

Shit, there he went again. He put his gun away deliberately. Whenever he started thinking about Sean it ended up like this. He should've shot JJ when he'd had the chance. Sean would've forgiven him. But now… JJ'd obviously taken a sudden new interest in his old crush, now that he was over that Dee guy. He had that peculiar happy, perky attitude that seemed to drive Sean so wild. Strangely 'cute'. Alex sighed. He wasn't cute. Would never be cute, it wasn't his style. No one in his line of work was cute, not really. If they were it was an act. He wanted Sean on his own terms. He wouldn't accept any act, any second place. And neither would Sean, he was disgustingly stubborn when pushed. So how…

…Jamie…

He was the weak link. Only Danny and Sean really cared about him. Dee was still wary of him, Ryo too unsure of his relationship to accept any friendship. Dirk hated him with an intensity that would shock anyone who hadn't seen Danny rage against Hilde, if for a different reason. Josh…well, they had a hate/hate relationship. Plenty of accomplices… Plenty of motives…And, for awhile at least, plenty of possibilities.

After all, JJ was supposed to be protecting Danny, wasn't he? Alex wouldn't let anything happen to his sister but it'd be easy, ever so easy, just to sneak up behind him and put a bullet through his brain. Shot by one of the people after her, don't you know? Even if Josh figured it out he'd never tell, it'd upset Danny too much to be worth it. He had to know Alex wouldn't hurt her…

He smiled coldly. He'd make sure 'Jamie' paid, perhaps with a bit of help from his ever so dear old father…Dirk cared about nothing but his daughter anymore, he'd help out any way possible. Sean and Danny would be so upset it'd be easy to get them to come back home. And then he'd have Sean and Danny would still have Josh and Dirk would know she was safe and as long as mother stayed out of the way everything would be perfect. Absolutely perfect.

And who knows, maybe something would happen and he wouldn't have to worry about mother getting in the way after all.

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	13. FI2 Dinner Time

Family Dinners

Dinner Time

"Breit, table for…11?

  
"That's us." Danny stood up, brushing off her dress. "Has Dee come in yet?"

"Not yet."

"I'll wait for them." Sean offered.

"I'll wait too!" JJ blurted out. Alex glared at him, he'd been cut off before he could speak.

"I'll be fine on my own. Bikky likes me." Sean smiled.

Danny grabbed JJ's arm. "We'll be off then." She led the group, Josh, Alex, JJ, Dirk and Hilde, after the waitress. Sean sighed. "I hadn't realized there were so many of us."

He shifted in his seat. By the time he got there everyone should have picked seats, he hoped Danny remembered to leave four vacant so Dee's family could sit together. They were late… How unlike them. Ryo was usually so punctual.

He'd waited about five minutes when a waitress came up to him. "Umm, sir, are you waiting for someone?"

He nodded. "Yes. Is someone looking for me?"

She smiled. "No. Just checking that you weren't waited to be seated."

"Thank you." He watched her leave and sighed. He should enjoy the silence while it lasted. Around the Breit's silence was a rarity.

"Hey, Sean!" Carol and Bikky pounced him, hugging him.

He hugged Carol back. "You're finally here. I suppose she insisted that you pass her fashion exam." He smiled fondly down at the girl.

Carol grinned and flashed a peace sign. "Of course!"

She was so cute. He looked over at Bikky. "You know, this's the first time I've seen you in something other than jeans and a t-shirt."

"I keep telling him he should wear nicer clothes more often but…" Carol shrugged helplessly.

Bikky glared at her. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

Dehit him. "Don't start a fight. We're in public."

Bikky kicked Dee in the shins. "Shut up, old man."

"Bikky…" Ryo frowned warningly. Bikky sniffed and left Dee alone. Sean sweatdropped. "Actually, they'll probably fit right in." He gestured. "The others are already seated. Let's go look for the fighting."

Dee blinked. "That bad, huh?"

Carol grabbed his hand, following him. "What's Danny's family like?"

"Uhh… They're… Umm… They're all very attractive." What else good could he say about them without building her hopes up?

"Really? Does she have a brother about my age?"

"Hey!" Bikky protested.

"Sorry. Alex is the youngest and he's 23."

"Really?...How old is Danny?

"25."

"Really?" Carol looked surprised. "I thought she was 23."

Sean laughed. "Nope. Although, people often think she's the younger one."

"What's his name?"

"Didn't Ryo tell you? Alex."

"Alex? That's a cute name."

"That's a girls name." Bikky declared. He looked annoyed.

"Well, Alex isn't a girl."

"And Sean'd know." Dee smirked slightly. Ryo hit him on the shoulder. "Dee…"

"Eh?!" Carol stared up at Sean who was frowning at Dee. "I knew it!"

"Huh?" He blinked down at her.

"You're gay." She winked. 

"But he had a girlfriend!" Bikky protested.

Carol shrugged. "Bi then."

Sean turned red. "Carol…"

"Sean, you bad boy."

Sean jumped and turned to find Dirk standing behind him, smiling slightly. "Sorry, sir?"

Dirk gestured at Carol. "If you're going to go out with a younger woman at least go out with a legal one."

"Dirk!" Sean protested. Carol laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, winking at Dirk. Bikky kicked Dee.

"OW! What was that for?"

Bikky fumed.

Dee turned to Ryo with a pitiful look. Ryo sighed. "Bikky, please don't start any fights."

"She isn't my girlfriend." Sean was explaining. "She's part of Ryo and Dee's family."

"Ahh, I see. I was wondering about that." He looked at Bikky. "And the street rat?"

Bikky glared at him. Ryo answered for him. "That's Bikky."

"Ryo's adopted son." Sean explained.

"I see. Well, I'm Dirk Breit."

"So?" Bikky glared insolently at him.

Dirk raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Daddy!" Danny stalked up. "What's taking you so- Dee!" She hugged Ryo and Bikky and quickly kissed Dee. "You're late."

"You created a fashion monster. She wouldn't let us out until she was satisfied."

"Not my fault. Blame Sean. I'm perfectly willing to sit around in flannels myself. Unfashionable flannels." She grinned. Sean made a face. "Far too willing."

Carol and Bikky were gaping at Dirk. "_He_'s your father?!"

Dirk frowned at them. "How surprising is that?"

"I thought Danny's last name was Mills."

Dirk shook his head. "Daniela," He stressed her real name. "never has been or will be a Mills."

"Technically I am, Daddy."

"Blood is stronger than law."

"Well, the law isn't exactly strong in our family."

"Don't be cheeky."

"But I have such cute dimples!" She smiled. "See?"

"Hopeless." He shook his head.

"I like her." Bikky attached at Danny only to get hit by Josh. He glared up at the assassin, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"My girl. Go hug yours." Josh looked back at the adults. "I don't suppose you could wrap this up? Alex's fingering his gun and I think JJ's only a second behind him. I bet Alex's a faster draw but JJ's got him on aim any day and a gunfight isn't my idea of a good beginning for a dinner date."

Sean groaned. "'Lexie…" He detached from Carol and rushed off.

"Where's he going in such a rush?"

Danny shrugged. "He'll be back. We should go ourselves."

Josh blinked at her. "Why would he be back?"

"He forgot to ask where the table is." She smirked.

It took Sean a couple of minutes to remember that himself. Mentally cursing he stopped a passing waitress to get directions. She led him right to the table and smiled, asking him if he wanted anything. He shook his head then considered. "… Alcohol. Lots of it." He glared between Alex and JJ, who hadn't spotted him yet. "The strong stuff."

She took one look at the seated pair then nodded. "I'll be right back with it."

Just his luck. Alex and Jamie were seated on opposite sides of the table. He'd have to sit by one or the other. He checked the other chairs to see who was sitting where. Besides JJ there were two empty chairs then Hilde, Dirk's coat, Danny's, Josh's, Alex and then three empty chairs before coming round to Jaime again. He hesitated, torn by indecision.

"Hey, Sean! You got here ahead of us? Should've known you'd manage it somehow."

He turned, relieved. Danny had arrived just in time. "I asked a waitress."

"A man, asking directions?" Hilde sounded astonished. "What is the world coming to?"

"It was just common sense." He replied.

"Another thing most men lack." She looked pointedly at JJ and Alex, who ignored her. Dee took in the table at a glance, as Josh, Danny and Dirk sat again. He grabbed Ryo's hand and started pulling him towards a chair but Bikky kicked him in the ankle and grabbed Ryo possessively. Dee and Bikky glared at each other as Ryo sighed resignedly. Carol tugged on Sean's sleeve. "Can I sit by you?"

"Hmmm…" Sean looked at the table. She couldn't sit by Danny, no way she'd move. She didn't care that much for Jaime or Hilde, or Alex for that matter. He bit his lip, turning table seatings over in his head.

Ryo hit both Dee and Bikky, who were starting to bicker over who got to sit by him and walked towards the nearest chair.

Sean pondered. Would sitting next to Dee be OK for Jaime? No, probably not a good idea. But…Sitting anywhere near Alex was a bad idea, and…

Alex shook his head and he watched Sean thinking. He turned his attention to the girl and winked, pointing to the seats nearest him. She frowned at him then looked over at JJ who was watching her just as intently. She looked between the two for a few minutes as Ryo tried to calm Dee and Bikky down.

Hilde sweatdropped. "Araa… Your friends are very…spirited, Daniela." She smiled at her step-daughter who glared venomously at her.

Dirk sipped his drink, how he'd managed to get alcohol before everyone else even got their drink orders was anyone's guess, and shook his head. "We shouldn't be talking."

Danny gave up trying to kill Hilde with her glare alone and turned to Josh. "Who do you think should sit where?"

"Obviously Dee, Ryo, Bikky, then Carol." He replied.

She looked over her shoulder at Sean. "…" She turned back to Dee. "That work?"

"Huh?"

She sweatdropped. "You weren't even listening, were you?"

"This brat was yelling too loudly." He glared at Bikky who glared right back. "You were the loud one."

"Be quiet, both of you." Ryo was obviously impatient. "We're going to get kicked out at this rate."

Josh sighed. "It's only a matter of time."

"Don't be so negative." Danny chided. She gestured at the empty chairs then frowned. "Jamie, sweetie, you're going to have to move." She turned back to Dee and Bikky and pointed imperiously. "Dee, you sit by Ryo, Bikky on the other side, then Carol. Good?"

Bikky and Dee considered a minute. "… Good." They moved immediately to sit in their assigned seats as JJ stood, trying to decide where to move too. Dee took the chair by Hilde. Ryo moved to sit between them, muttering something about alcoholic drinks and Tylenol. Carol pulled Sean behind her as she moved to sit on the other side of Bikky. Both Alex and JJ moved at the same time, for the chair next to Sean. Dirk shook his head. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Maybe you were right."

"We can't even all get seated…"

"On the other hand," Danny mused. "We are entertaining the other customers."

"Oh yay." Dirk replied dryly. He gestured for their waitress, holding up his empty glass. "Keep it full. Please."

"Daddy, you shouldn't drink too much. It's bad for you."

"Everything's bad for me. Let me kill myself in peace, thank you."

"Dirk." Hilde chided him.

"Agh, I forgot my own rule."

"Which one?"

"Never sit between two women."

Josh snickered. Danny shook her head and went back to watching Alex and JJ. Sean had finally had enough. He patted Carols shoulder and whispered to her, 'Sorry, next time maybe', and moved to sit in the chair the two were fighting over. Alex, who was half sitting in the chair himself, grinned. "Are you staying this time or just deliberating?"

"Staying." Sean proclaimed as JJ sat on his other side.

"Took awhile."

Sean glared at him wordlessly as the waitress returned with a few bottles of alcohol and some glasses. "What would everyone like?"

"Brandy."

"Beer."

"Scotch." Dirk held his glass up.

"Vodka for me, he'll take a scotch too." Alex replied for himself and Sean. Sean didn't protest.

"I'll take a-"

"No." Sean and Danny cut him off. JJ sulked. Alex smirked.

"We'll have some red wine." Ryo smiled apologetically at the waitress.

Hilde thought a bit. "I'll have some wine as well."

The poor waitress nodded, and handed out various glasses, pouring the adults their beverages. Everyone, except JJ, Sean'd stopped the waitress from pouring him any, immediately gulped down their first couple glasses. Dirk gestured to the waitress. "Just leave the bottles." He looked around. "I get the feeling we'll need them."

She sweatdropped, obviously under the impression they were one, big, dysfunctional family. Close, they were several dysfunctional families. She left them menus and promised to return in a few minutes, leaving them to choose their meals.

"Daddy."

"Yes, Daniela?" Dirk replied absently, downing another glass.

"Why are you here? You never did tell me."

"Business."

"But you don't work up here."

"They do."

"You aren't starting a gang war, are you?" JJ stopped glaring at Alex a minute to try and stare down Dirk. Dirk won.

"He isn't." Josh replied.

"How do you know?"

"No one's asked me or Brett to get involved."

"Would they?"

"Of course. Nothing but business as usual, lately."

Dirk nodded. "If you don't mind I'd like to hire you while we're working up here."

"Daddy's pathetically ignorant about 'the business' up here."

"So're you, Danny." Alex teased. "You've been living here for years and probably know less then them." He nodded his head towards Dee and Ryo."

"I'm clean." She shrugged.

"I still can't believe you just gave it all up."

"I'm relieved." Sean pronounced. Everyone turned to look at him as he nursed his drink. "It's too dangerous."

"No more than police work, I'd imagine." Alex eyed JJ.

"I guess…"

Alex filled his drink. "You shouldn't drink it all in one go like that. It always goes to your head."

Sean shrugged. Carol slipped around JJ into his lap. She smiled up at Alex who was watching her warily. "You must be 'lexie."

He hid a grin. "Only a few people get to call me that, madchen."

"Madchen?"

"It's German. For girl." Sean told her.

"You're German?"

"Yeah."

"I thought Germans were blond?"

"'lexie's unusual." Sean gently slapped her hand as she went for his drink. "Not unless Ryo says it's OK. Can you see the menu?"

"Yeah!" She smiled at him. "I already decided, anyway."

"That's nice. Shouldn't you go back to sitting by Bikky before he decides I'm a rival? I'm afraid I'm not quite as sturdy as Dee so I don't think I'd stand up too well to his punishments."

Carol shrugged, dismissing the problem. "You're too old for me."

"Gee, thanks."

Alex snickered. "I don't think anyone's accused you of being old before, geliebt."

"Guess not."

"You don't have an accent." Carol returned her attention to Alex.

"I grew up speaking both. Danny took forever to learn the civilized languages."

"Since when is German considered civilized?" She retorted.

"How many languages do you all speak?"

"Three."

"Why so many?"

"Danny's mother was Spanish, and so is most of Miami and LA, so we all learned that. Pretty much everyone speaks English so we would've been odd if we hadn't learned that and mother prefers German so…" He shrugged. "Three languages, at least, for all of us."

"Wow." She turned to Dirk. "Do you know three too?"

"Four. Dutch. A smattering of Italian, but not enough to count."

"Wow! You're all so… so…international."

"What about you, Sean?"

"Only one, really. A bit of German and a little Spanish, but that's all. I'm British so I didn't need many other languages."

"British? That explains a lot." Dee grinned teasingly at Sean who smirked.

"Yeah, like the fact I have manners."

"Hey, hey!"

"It's OK, Dee." Danny grinned. "We all know you're an uncultured lout but we put up with you anyway."

"Who's rude?"

She smirked.

"So Sean's British, Ryo's half-Japanese, Dee's a mongrel-"

"Bikky! You little-"

"Except for Danny you're all German, she's half Spanish and Josh's Italian."

"Sì."

"Quite a group."

"Indeed."

"You know, I don't think we've been properly introduced yet." Alex eyed Carol.

"This is Carol and that's Bikky. This is Alex, you've already met Dirk and that's Hilde, Alex's mother." Sean introduced everyone.

"So, Carol," Alex smiled at the girl. "Did you have a reason for moving or did you just decide that you didn't like the seating arrangement?"

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"I'm a bit big to be sitting in peoples laps."

"Then there isn't a problem, now is there?"

"It might make eating awkward."

She considered that then nodded. "OK." Hopping off Sean's lap she returned to her seat.

Sean looked confused. "It's OK, Carol. You don't have to leave if you don't want to. We haven't even ordered yet."

"It's OK. I wanted to meet him." She settled in her seat. "Besides, you're all bony."

"Sorry." Sean sounded a little hurt.

"I didn't know you were British." JJ looked a little put out himself.

"I did." Alex smirked.

"'lexie."

"Verzeihung."

"What's that mean?" Carol asked. Bikky was pouring over the menu as Dee and Ryo chatted with Hilde. "And that other word, ge-ge-"

"Geliebt?"

"Yeah. That one."

"Verzeihung means sorry."

"And Gelie…gelei…"

"A nickname." Alex smiled.

"Oh… Can you teach me?"

Dirk choked on his drink, laughing. Carol blinked at him. Sean blushed slightly as Alex snickered. "No, madchen, I don't think I will."

"Why not?"

"Because then it wouldn't be my nickname, now would it?" He smiled reasonably.

"I guess so…"

"Sean…"

"Yes, Jamie?"

"Why'd you leave England?"

"My parents moved. Business… Real business, not criminal."

"Oh… how long have you lived here?"

"Since I was eight. We moved between England and the USfairly often though. Tended to spend winter there, vacation time here. Mother didn't approve of the schools."

"What's your mother like?"

"She was rather nice. Kind of reserved but sweet."

"And your father?"

He blinked. "Why all this sudden interest in my family?"

"Cause you normally won't talk about them."

"No one asks."

JJ couldn't refute that. "Why'd you leave?"

"I grew up."

"But what were you doing in Florida? That is where you met Danny, isn't it?"

"Yes. We were visiting friends. The first time I'd ever been there." Sean looked around the table. Alex was, as he expected, watching him and JJ; Danny was talking to her father and Josh and Hilde was still talking to Ryo and Dee, something about childcare from what he could hear. Strange, he wouldn't have thought that'd interest Dee. He looked over the menu quickly as JJ tried to decide what to ask next.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"Actually-"

"Pardon me." The waitress was back. "Is everyone ready to order?"

There was some small chaos as everyone checked their menus one last time and tried to decide who would go first. The poor, poor waitress fought the urge to bury her face in her hands or scream. It was going to be a long night.

"More alcohol, please."

She rushed off to get more. If they were feeling anywhere near how she was they really needed it.

End

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	14. FI2 Hung Over

Hung Over

"So then Bikky showed up, 'round about midnight, without even a bruise on him, looking happy as could be. He just walked back in and went straight towards bed, whistling the whole time. Turns out he'd just forgotten to call and tell Ryo that he was going out to a late movie with his friends after dinner with Carol-"

"It's a shame Brett couldn't make it, Mr. Breit. I'll see if I can get him to agree to come next time. He'd made plans for tonight already, his new girlfriend's-"

"And then what happened?"

"We went back home, separately, and went to bed. But the next day it was all over school how poor Sean had been caught out late at night making out with some stranger dressed in my coat. For some reason though everyone was convinced it was Danny wearing my coat rather than me myself."

Carol laughed.

"It wasn't my fault! I tried to call but HE picked up." Bikky attempted to kick Dee under the table.

"I can take messages you know, brat. You coulda told me."

"Hmph."

JJ sat sullenly in his chair playing with his, non-alcoholic, drink. All around him conversations flowed, between Danny and Josh and Dirk, Ryo, Dee, Bikky and Hilde, and, of course, Alex, Carol and Sean. Sean was blushing and correcting Alex a lot, since they'd gotten into stories about his past. Carol couldn't seem to hear enough, about Sean or Danny. Alex was her favorite new storyteller, knowing all sorts of slightly dirty stories they probably would prefer her didn't. The reminiscing certainly wasn't helping JJ's mood. All it did was serve to remind him of just how important Alex had been to Sean. Still was, maybe. Dammit, he liked Sean! He liked Sean a whole lot! Sean was sweet and nice and funny and pretty damn hot! It was those stormy gray eyes of his. JJ's never seen gray eyes that weren't boring before he'd met Sean. Then again there was a lot of things he figured out when he met Sean. He liked strawberries, English food tasted awful, he could cook, if he really tried.

He liked guys other then Dee-sempai.

Of course, he'd been interested in other guys. But nothing anywhere near what he felt for Dee-sempai. But Sean… he really liked Sean. He was happy spending time with him, talking to him, even shopping with him. JJ'd never cared for shopping with other people that much, Danny always took too long and went to too many stores, but with Sean it was OK. Sean was… he was… almost perfect. Too good to be true, JJ'd always figured. He'd been head over heels for Dee-sempai, that hadn't changed, but he'd just let what he felt for Sean pass because he knew that it couldn't be all he thought. It couldn't be that easy, falling in love. Just look at all the trouble he'd had with Dee-sempai. Plus he'd thought Sean was straight, he had been rather involved with Laura. So…he'd hidden whatever he'd felt for Sean somewhere deep in his heart and concentrated on his feelings for his Dee-sempai. Only that never got anywhere either. Dee loved Ryo, not JJ. He'd managed to hold out hope until only six months ago but… there was no denying it, Dee-sempai and Ryo-sempai were together and would probably always be, no matter how much Ryo whined about how pushy Dee-sempai was. Then, when he'd been left without anything, without Dee-sempai or even Danny Sean'd come. He helped him through all the guilt, all the hatred, all the hurt. And everything he'd felt for Sean came right out into the open and took him over as surely as his obsession with Dee-sempai had. It wasn't as sharp, as intense a feeling as what he'd had for Dee-sempai but it was all the more real for that. He'd loved Dee-sempai but with the fury of the obsessed, with an overwhelming single-mindedness. With Sean he could just relax and be himself, for the first time in too many years. But now he'd shown up. Alex. And he was threatening to take it away again, leaving JJ all alone again.

Well, he wouldn't get away with it. Whatever he was planning, coming up here and butting into their lives as if he belonged there, JJ'd teach him he his place. Sean wasn't with him anymore. They hadn't even gone on a date in years, Sean had moved and left Alex behind! They weren't together anymore and JJ wasn't about to let them start up again. Sean belonged with him! He liked him! They got along great. Whatever it was that had made those two break up obviously wasn't dealt with yet, from the way Sean was acting. Alex should learn when he was beat and go back home, back to his gang wars, drugs and death. JJ had spent too much energy pulling Danny and Sean away from that to let them get dragged back in by one asshole executioner. He clutched his glass. He'd do whatever he had too, but there was no way he'd let them bring Danny and Sean back. He didn't care what the Breit's thought, Sean and Danny belonged here now. He wouldn't let their lives be ruined.

Not again.

***

You'd think it'd take something significant to hush a table of 12 people, all happily chattering amongst each other, in just a moment. Well, it didn't. All Sean had to do was finish off his drink, push out his chair and stand up. He was wobbling slightly, so even the act of standing wasn't too dramatic, although the fact he could probably was. He hadn't exactly been drinking non-alcoholic drinks. You know what I mean…Anyway…

Sean stood up and the entire table fell silent. He pushed in his chair and smiled slightly. "Well, I better get home."

The table erupted into chaos.

Waiters and waitresses around the room nearly dropped their trays, The few customers who'd remained dropped their utensils as the noise level rose several decibels suddenly.

"What do you mean, going home?"

"You can't go home yet!"

"You're drunk, geleibt."

"Sean, there's no way you can get home by yourself."

"Dude, you're wasted."

"Dee!"

"He is!"

Giggle.

"Are you sure you'll be OK, Sean? You look pretty…wasted… to me."

Sean's smile broadened a bit. "I'll be fine. Really. Don't worry a bit about me, Mr. Breit." He let go of his chair, took one step and promptly fell over into Alex lap.

Alex, of course, started laughing. So did most of the others. Dirk shook his head, Hilde looked concerned and JJ cracked his glass slamming it into the table, rushing over to try and pull Sean away from Alex. Alex would have none of that, though, standing himself and helping Sean up. "I'll get him back home. If you'd be so kind as to give me directions, Danny?"

JJ glared at him. "I can take him home. I know how to get there."

Alex eyed him coolly for a minute. "I'm sure you do…"

"I know hot to get home!" Sean protested. "I'm not that drunk!"

"Of course you aren't." Alex's voice warmed just a little. "But you can't walk."

Sean looked annoyed. "Fine then." He grabbed Alex coat from the back of his chair. "If you insist on babying me I might as well get home and to bed ASAP."

Alex laughed. "Very well."

JJ looked about ready to blow up but Sean cut him off. "I'll see you 'n Danny for lu…" He paused, considering. "Dinner. Definitely not lunch."

JJ hesitated, then nodded, backing down. "Our place."

Sean nodded. "Sounds OK, I'll call before I come over." He waved to the others then hit Alex lightly on the arm. "Let's go."

"I'm not carrying you."

"You won't carry me, you won't let me walk, what'm I supposed to do?"

"Stumble, maybe." Alex started off, half-pulling, half-supporting Sean. "Well, later all."

"Byebye, Alex. Have fun and don't stay up too late. I'll call you tomorrow, Sean. Not too early though." Danny laughed as they disappeared. JJ sat back down, finishing his drink. Carol and Bikky yawned in unison. Ryo stood up and Dee sighed. "That's out cue to be leaving. Mother gets all worried when the kids are sleepy."

Ryo glared at him for a minute then went back to the kids, getting them ready to go. They said their goodbyes then went out the door, Bikky and Dee arguing before they'd gotten three tables away. Dirk smiled. "An interesting family."

Danny nodded. "They're fun."

Josh looked at his watch and shook his head. "I think I'll flee as well. Before Brett locks me out." He kissed Danny. "Keep your cellphone on, I may need a place to crash tonight."

"Brett locks you out?"

"Sometimes. Gets me home at a decent hour, he says." Josh shrugged. "Brett's weird like that." He turned to Dirk and Hilde. "I'll see you later then. Goodbye."

They nodded. "Goodbye."

JJ sighed. "I'll leave too. I have work tomorrow."

"Good ting you didn't drink anything then." Danny chided him, standing as well. "You're awful when you're hung over."

"Shut up."

Danny laughed, tugging JJ out the door with one hand and waving to her parents with the other. "Byebye, Daddy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I suppose." He replied calmly. He gestured to the waitress for the bill. Hilde shook her head. "So that's why they left. To leave us with the bill."

"I always pay." He replied calmly.

"Not always."

"With Danny." His answer was final and made it clear that dinner with his daughter was a different matter entirely. And that Hilde should know it.

Hilde frowned for an instant then shrugged, rummaging in her purse for something. "It'll be a wonder if Daniela can even make it out of her apartment tomorrow. She drank enough."

"We all did." He handed their poor waitress a credit card and an extremely large tip. She smiled slightly, too tired and worn to show more appreciation then that and disappeared to take care of paying. Dirk turned back to Hilde. "Do you have anything planned tomorrow?"

"No, why?"

"Mm. Just wondering… Franz is supposed to call tomorrow, so be sure to pass along any messages quickly."

"Of course."

He nodded and they sat in silence for a minute until the waitress returned with his card. Then they stood and calmly headed out the door, leaving the cluttered table for the busboys. "I'm not sure how long we'll be here but it will be awhile. I may need you to go back to LA to watch over things for me. Franz can handle Miami but I'm not sure how Reiner will do."

"Yes dear."

"I'm going to keep Alex here though. He'll be upset if I make him leave and He's good enough to be some help watching over Daniela."

"… I'm not sure Sean will like that."

"Sean will have to live with it. He won't mind though. He likes Alex."

"JJ-"

"The Adams boy will just have to survive."

"…" There was another minute of silence as they walked the streets back to their hotel.

"Another thing, I may end up bringing Danny back to Miami with me, if this gets too out of hand. I have no power up here and I need her safe. So don't get too comfortable."

"I won't."

"All right then."

They walked through the nighttime streets of New York, unbothered by the petty criminals and violence around them, talking occasionally. Dirk's mood was enigmatic, as normal, but inside Hilde seethed quietly with a subtle rage.

***

"All right, geliebt, how do we get back to your place?"

"Umm…" Sean peered around. "I think it's that way…"

"You think?"

"I'm not really that familiar with this part of town." Sean admitted. "But if we can find somewhere I am I'm sure we'll be able to get back."

"Great." Alex complained. "I'm out here and half-drunk and you're wasted and I don't know where you live and you're lost and I have to get you back home."

"Not a very good situation."

"You're telling me?"  
"Maybe…"

"What?"

"Maybe I could just get a room at the hotel."

Alex sighed. "If we're going back there you might as well just crash on the couch in my room. I'll get room service to bring up some pillows and a blanket."

Sean considered.

"I'll see if we can find a cab. You aren't up to walking all that way, I don't think. I'm not up to carrying you, that's for sure."

"I'm not that heavy." Sean replied petulantly.

"You? Heavy? You'll wear plaid and polka dots before you'd let yourself get fat. I'm just not used to carrying people around town like this. Emergency situations only, you know."

"I s'pose…"

"C'mon, let's get back. If I don't get you to sleep soon Danny'll cut me up and serve me for dinner. Your morning will be bad enough already."

Sean shuddered slightly.

"You know how bad your hangovers get. Why'd you drink so much?"

"... He kept glaring at me…" Sean murmured.

"What?"

"I was expecting a fight. Danny and Hilde always fight."

"Yeah…they did OK tonight though."

"If you consider ignoring each other OK."

"For them it's damn good."

"Ngh…" Sean replied noncommittally. "Let's get this cab then. I'm sleepy."

"I'll wake you up." Alex threatened. "I'm definitely not carrying you into the hotel and all the way up. You have to get yourself to bed."

Sean made an annoyed noise. "But I'm sleepy!" He whined.

"Shoulda thought of that before you drank half their liquor stock."

"You drank as much as I did."

"I have more tolerance."

"Mmf."

A cab finally stopped for them. They piled inside and spent the first couple minutes getting comfortable as Alex tried to tell the cabby, who of course spoke something other than English, where to go. Sean fell asleep before they cleared the block. Alex sighed and leaned back in the seat. "…I'll wake him up when we get there…"

***

Josh pushed open the door to his place and tossed his keys on the nearby table. "I'm baaaaack!"

"So I heard. Damn you're loud." Brett wandered in, wearing boxers, beer in hand.

"Isn't it a bit late for drinking?"  
"A bit late, a bit early, it's drinking time somewhere." Brett replied easily.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin'."

"You don't drink at this time of night over nothing."

"That brother of Danny's is gonna cause trouble."

"Why do you say that?"

"He likes Sean and Sean likes him but JJ ain't just gonna let that take its natural course, y'know."

"And Danny'll have to stick up for one or the other."

"Yeah…"

"She really likes JJ…"

"But family's family."

"Yeah…"

"How's her dad, by the way?"

"Nicer then I expected. Not really expressive, of course, but he's the kind of guy we'd work for. He'd treat us fair."

"Can't ask for much more than that."

"He adores Danny. I'm not too sure about him and Alex though."

"What about Hilde?"

"They're married. But he doesn't seem as interested in her as Danny, for some reason."

"Danny's cute."

"Yeah…"

"What's with you?"

"That feeling again."

"What feeling?"

"I just don't know if I fit in there…"

"She likes you, you like her what else is there to worry about?"

"I know, I know but… With everyone there tonight I just kind of felt out of place, like I wasn't supposed to be there."

"Where were you supposed to be?"  
"I dunno. Not there though." He collapsed in an armchair, brooding.

"It's called the jitters, Josh. You're just nervous cause you had dinner with her family, who just happen to be extremely dangerous, although you didn't know that until today."

"Yeah…" Josh's tone said he didn't think that was what it was though.

"Don't worry. You'll get through it, it's just a stage. She likes you and that's what matters."

"Yeah." Josh pushed himself out of the chair. "I'm going to bed. We doing anything tomorrow?"

"I'll handle it. You ain't gonna be fit for much tomorrow, they way you look now."

"Gee, thanks. How considerate of you." Josh growled sarcastically. He walked into his bedroom and quietly shut his door. Brett set his beer down and leaned against the wall, thinking. "Something bad's gonna happen here." He shrugged, picking up his can and chucking it into the trash can behind him. "Just better stay away from us." He went into his own room.

***

Sean woke up with a raging headache and feeling absolutely awful. Luckily it was totally dark, the curtains drawn and all lights turned off, so he didn't have to deal with sight. Yet.

With a whimper he rolled over slightly, clinging to a pillow. He hurt… A lot. He hadn't felt this bad since…since… the last time he'd gotten totally wasted and hung over. Now he remembered why he didn't do that more often.

Well, there were only two cures for a hangover. Time and alcohol. And if you stuck to the alcohol eventually you got the D.T.s. So that left time…Although, right now alcohol was looking like a really, really good option. Anything was better than this…

He managed to roll out of bed and stagger towards a nearby door he hoped led to the bathroom. It didn't but he extricated himself from the clothes, with only a little trouble, and the next door was the correct one so he staggered inside and snatched a bottle of painkillers, handily set out in plain view on the sink next to a glass of water. The water was tepid but better then nothing. He gulped down four of the pills and sank to the tile, leaning against the tub, waiting for the pain to dim. Then he realized that that was stupid, the tile was too hard against his butt so he staggered back out to collapse on the bed. Time became a blur then but eventually the pain wore away, leaving only a faint pulse in his head. He made his way back to the bathroom again and made copious use of the mouthwash to rid himself of that foul taste. Only then did he begin to feel human again. Walking back into the room he blinked. This wasn't his room. This wasn't even his house.

He stood there confused, trying to figure out where he was. Not Danny's… Josh's? No, they'd be making noise, or have some pictures out or something. Brett probably would've come in to 'helpfully' wake him up. But there was nothing. True, it was a tasteful nothing, but it was still bland and impersonal. Like…

Like a hotel.

Oh crap.

He fell back onto the bed, holding his head. That headache was returning…He was in Alex's hotel room. On the bed, no less. Without a shirt. His cellphone was in view on the nightstand, in case he needed to call for help though. But...where was Alex?

He dimly remembered being woken up to crawl out of the taxi and up to the hotel room, a pause as Alex talked to the person behind the desk, something about blankets and a pillow. He couldn't remember precisely what was said though. Then they'd gone upstairs and…he didn't remember anything but sleep after that, until he woke up again. So…where'd Alex gone?

There was still one set of doors he hadn't tried so he made his way carefully over there, trying not to jar his head or body too much. Opening it he blinked.

Alex lay sprawled on the couch, blanket only half-covering him, one arm slung over the back of the couch the other curving up to rest under the pillows at his head. He'd ended up asleep on the couch… Sean slowly sweatdropped. He must've passed out on the bed and Alex was too drunk to move him. He'd apologize when he woke up. Only he found himself drifting over to the couch, sitting down beside Alex. Alex immediately shifted, curling up around him, his arm going from the back of the couch to his waist. Sean smiled despite himself.

"…Tylenol…" Alex whimpered.

Sean sighed. Alex… "If you'll let me go I'll go get some for you." He kept his voice low, barely enough for Alex to hear him. Alex nodded slightly then whimpered. Sean stood and went back to the bathroom, refilled the glass and bringing the painkillers with him. He gave Alex a few and made him drink then rolled him over onto his stomach and massaged his back. Alex made a few contented noises then fell asleep again. Or seemed to, he sure woke up again fast when Sean tried to leave.

"Where you goin'?"

"Breakfast?" It was a lame excuse and he knew it.

Alex made a face. "I don't even want to think of breakfast right now."

Sean laughed. "That's a first. Give yourself a couple hours and you'll be starved."

"Doubt it…"

"You will. I know you."

"Mmm…" Alex drifted off towards sleep again, the fingers of one hand holding onto a belt loop on Sean's pants. Sean sighed and settled down beside him again, trying to get comfortable. No reason he shouldn't get some sleep too.

A couple minutes later his phone began to ring, in the other room. But they were both asleep and didn't notice.

***

"No way Sean'll pick it up. You saw how drunk he was."

JJ didn't respond, holding the phone and looking worried. Danny yawned, stretching. "Dunno why I'm up either."

"Work?"

"Oh yeah… probably look like shit though. Won't have Sean there to work his magic on me either. This is gonna be a long day."

"You didn't have to drink yesterday."

"Don't remind me. But why should it be just me and you not drinking? Alcohol is fun."

JJ grunted.

"Don't be cranky. He's fine. Probably trying to get back to sleep and all upset cause that damn phone woke him up. Maybe he took it off ringer too. He'll be awake later and call us, I bet. He'll be here for dinner."

JJ hung up the phone and stared at it.

"Calling again won't do any good. Probably make him more mad. It's no fun to be woken up by a loud noise, 'specially when hung over. Especially with the kind of noise a phone makes."

JJ backed away, reassured. "What're we having for dinner?" His voice was quiet, almost childishly pleading for reassurance.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll think of something while I'm working. If not we'll order in. Shouldn't you be getting to work?"

JJ looked at the clock like he'd just become aware it existed. "Oh! Right!" He ran about grabbing his things. "See you later, Danny!"

"Yeah, later." Danny faced her bowl of cereal with utter distaste. "This's gonna be one loooong day."

End

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	15. FI2 Here With Me

Here with Me

The song is 'Here with Me' by Dido. Don't ask why, it just worked itself in. It's a pretty song.

Dirk frowned, staring at the closed door ahead of him. Hilde shook her head. "Still asleep?"  
"Perhaps."

She looked around the long hallway. "It's a fairly nice place. Better then I'd expect."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged. "Two bachelor killers living alone. Not much can be expected in terms of sophistication and living arrangements."

"Mmm."

The door opened and Brett stuck his head out. "Hello?"

They turned to look at him. Hilde sighed, shaking her head. Dirk frowned slightly. Brett pulled the toothbrush from his mouth. "Sorry, we're a little messy this morning. We both stayed out too late and my brother's still in bed. You're a early." He smiled and waved. "C'mon in." He looked at Hilde. "I didn't know Vermov had a female assistant?"

"Vermov?" Hilde blinked.

"We're not here from Vermov." Dirk replied.

"Hmmm?" Brett pulled the door all the way open. He was fully dressed, in a t-shirt and jeans. "Why then?"

"Is your brother in?"

Brett made a face. "Did he get himself in trouble again? I'll go check. JOSH! Hey, Josh!" Brett walked into the house, yelling for his brother. "C'mon in. Take a seat. Hungry?"

"No thank you. I have lunch plans." Dirk entered and sat on the couch, setting his coat on his lap. "Hilde may want something."

Brett shrugged. "Josh makes great won tons. It is lunch time, isn't it? Our clock's broken again."

"It is." Dirk smiled.

"Breeeeett!" Josh pushed open his bedroom door and staggered out, holding his head. He was in the same clothes he'd been wearing the night before. "Don't yell. Please."

"You got guests. You get yourself in trouble again?"

"No…" Josh turned to look at Dirk. He blinked. "…Oh yeah! Mr. Breit. What're you doing here?"

"Mr. Breit?" Brett asked.

"Danny's dad."

"OH!" Brett grinned and waved. "Hey. Haven't properly introduced myself, have I? I'm Brett, Josh's older brother."

"Dirk Breit and this is my wife Hilde."

"Cool. Didn't you have a kid?"

"Alex is probably still asleep."

"Lucky bastard…" Josh muttered. "I'll be back in a minute." He headed back towards his room.

"Tylenol's in the kitchen." Brett tossed his toothbrush into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. "you didn't call the repair guy for our clock."

"Nnnng." Josh turned and headed for the kitchen.

Brett winked at Dirk. "Better go make sure he doesn't wash 'em down with something poisonous." He followed his brother to the kitchen.

Hilde shook her head. "Bachelors."

"I think I like him." Dirk mused.

Hilde was staring around the room. "I bet Sasha could work wonders with this place."

Dirk chuckled. "You haven't even been here half an hour and you're already planning on sending up interior decorators."

"Sasha can work miracles. You saw what she did with Daniela's new place."

"Mmm." Dirk stood and looked around the room. "It's a good enough place. Alex would like it."

"Alex has horrible taste. He's lucky he has Sean."

"I suppose."

Brett wandered back into the room. "So…anyone want food?"

Josh groaned, calling out from the kitchen. "Don't even MENTION food right now."

Dirk and Brett laughed. Brett turned to Dirk. "Anyway…what'd you want, man?"

Hilde frowned. Dirk gestured dismissively. "Actually, I was wondering if your brother would care to join me and my daughter for a bit of lunch. However he seems a bit…"

"Indisposed?" Brett offered.

"Hung-over." Josh agreed from the kitchen. "Why don't you all come over for dinner?"

"I believe Daniela was planning on having dinner with Sean. I'd recommend that we all go out again but I believe it'd be better to space these trips out before the waiters start spreading stories."

"That bad?" Brett asked.

"Worse. The poor girl probably needed therapy." Dirk smiled slightly.

Someone knocked on the door. Brett grabbed a watch off the table and checked it. "Ahh, Vermov. Half an hour early, as always. Josh! Don't you dare throw up in there! Go somewhere no one can hear you."

"Yeah, yeah." Josh walked out of the kitchen, looking much more stable then he had earlier. "I'm gonna get dressed."

"If you pass out I ain't takin' care of you today." Brett warned.

Josh didn't bother replying.

Dirk helped Hilde to stand. "Perhaps we should be going."

"Perhaps." Brett grinned. "Maybe tomorrow, Josh should be feeling better by then. As long as he doesn't get shot or anything."

"That happens often?"

"Not really. But it is a possibility." Dirk nodded. The knocking was louder this time. "Let's go, shall we dear? Before their guests become terminally unfriendly."

Brett bowed expansively and gestured towards the door. "The exit is this way, madam."

"I noticed." She walked over and opened the door. Three men, all in expensive looking black suits, gaped at her. She frowned. "I see your boss hasn't bothered to teach you manners, though he may dress you well." They didn't move. She gestured. "May I come through?"

They stepped on each other moving aside. She shook her head haughtily and walked past them. Dirk laughed quietly as he exited, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He swept past a tall Russian in a suit who was heading down the hallway, surrounded by more bodyguards, already dialing. The Russian paused. "Dirk Breit?" He frowned, then turned to Brett. "What was Breit doing at your place? He isn't even supposed to be in New York."

Brett shrugged. "Josh's dating his daughter. So, who'd you need whacked?"

Vermov almost choked. "Daniela? Josh is dating Daniela?" He sounded shocked.

"You know the family, I see."

"Everyone does." He turned and stared in the direction Dirk had gone. "Why is he here though?"

"Danny's in some kind of trouble." Brett smiled slightly. "As always."

"Daniela's good at getting in trouble." Vermov agreed. "Almost as good as that bastard brother of hers."

"I'll tell Alex you send your regards."

"He's here too?" Vermov looked even more shocked then he had earlier.

"Of course."

Vermov turned to the man on his right and started ordering him quickly in Russian. The man nodded and made a quick suggestion then walked away quickly. Vermov stood still a minute, pondering. "Something important enough to bring them all here…" He shook his head and gestured to Brett. "My business will have to wait."

"Might just be a social visit, you know. She lives up here."

"Of course I know that." Vermov looked annoyed. "I'm in charge of watching her. Dirk doesn't visit. Not even for her. Neither does Alex, though he may be here to visit that adorable boy of his." He shook his head. "Later." He started ordering people in harsh sounding Russian. Half of them left.

Brett frowned. "You don't need us then?"

"You've caused me enough trouble today, boy. The job can wait until this is blown over." He left, taking the rest of his guards with him.

"He is way too relaxed to be so good." Josh noted, leaning against the wall beside the door, just out of view from the hallway. He'd come out after changing.

Brett shrugged. "He is good though. What is this all about?"

"Soon as I find out I'll tell ya." Josh shook his head. "Shoulda known Vermov'd know them. He's too big not too."

"I wouldn't have thought Dirk would like him. He seems so…"

"Uptight?"

"Strict."

"Which Vermov definitely isn't."

"What's with all this Daniela stuff?"

"Danny's real name. She changed it, apparently. Her mom was Spanish." He offered that last rather inanely."

"Really? So Hilde isn't her mother?"

"Nope. They hate each other. She adores her brother though."

"What is he like?"

"You'd get along. Just try to avoid being near him when JJ's nearby."

"JJ doesn't like him?"

"JJ doesn't like anyone Sean likes nearly as much as Sean like Alex."

"Am I the only one who feels like we're caught up in some strange kind of soap opera or something?"

"I've been thinking that all along."

"Hmmm…" Brett shook his head. "Well, looks like she's causing trouble again. You hungry yet?"

"Give me another hour." Josh estimated. "I'll feel better by then."

"Can't. Got a date. I'm going to grab a quick bite." On his way back inside he cuffed Josh across the back of the head. "And call the repair guy. Or get a new clock. I need to know what time it is."

"Can't get out on dates if you don't know when you're getting there, huh?"

"Damn right. Besides, it's two o'clock already. Time you did something useful."

"You're one to talk."

"Don't sass me, boy."

"Now you sound like a father."

"God forbid. Parenthood wouldn't agree with me. Kids are brats until they're 9. Then they're pests."

Josh shook his head. "You're the brat."

"Takes all kinds. Think you can cook for me without throwing up?"

"Now you want me to make you breakfast?"

"Your girlfriend cost us the job today. Least you can do is feed me."

"That's her fault, not mine!"

"Make me food anyway or I'll hide the Tylenol."

"Bastard…" Josh headed for the kitchen. "For that you're getting waffles. The frozen kind."

"I'll survive." Brett smirked, heading for his room. "And don't forget-"

"Get the clock fixed. I know, I know." Josh sounded genuinely annoyed this time.

"Then do it!"

***

"Yes Jamie, I'm fine. I slept well and my headache's gone… Yeah, a bit. I think I drank too much last night."

Alex snickered. Sean glared at him.

"… I slept for hours. I'll be fine…I'm sure… I'm about to have some break…er…lunch. How's Danny?... Why'd she bother going in, she's as hung over as I am… You're one to talk." Sean frowned at the phone. "It's not my fault. I rarely drink…She doesn't either." He sighed."She probably looks awful…Models can't have bad days, Jamie." He smiled as Alex brought him a cup of coffee. 'Thanks' he mouthed. Alex winked and sat behind him, drinking some coffee himself. "Are you at work?" Sean switched the phone to his other ear as he tried to be comfortable drinking and listening at the same time. "…Bikky? What'd he do?... He never learns, does he? Has Carol been in trouble recently?... That's good…I rarely got in trouble. My sister did though… Yes, I have a sister." He set the cup down. He couldn't really drink it while talking. "She doesn't live here… I didn't mean New York… England…Oh, is that salmon?" Sean directed that last to Alex, staring at the lunch set out on the table. He started. "Huh? Oh…that…just my landlady. She brings me food sometimes. You've met her, haven't you?"  
"You're terrible." Alex whispered in his ear. "Lying to poor Jamie like that."

Sean covered the receiver. "Hush….and bring me some of that."

"Yes sir." Alex laughed and went over to get the requested food. Sean uncovered the receiver. "I'd better go. She'll be upset if I don't eat it. She's worried I'm sick… I'm not really sick…that's different…I'll be over later. I might not make it for dinner, you two eat at odd times, but I'll definitely stop by, OK?...Don't worry so much, I'm fine…Have you heard him?...Alex? You don't know him very well. He's always loud."

Alex looked hurt.

"I'll see you later, all right? Goodbye… Yes…All right. Goodbye." He hung up and sighed. "He worries too much."

"I'm always loud?" Alex pouted..

"You are… are you going to give that to me or not?"

Alex tugged the plate out of range. "Loud? I am not loud."

"Of course not." Sean smiled slightly. "Can I have my fish?"

"No." Alex said sulkily. "You insulted me."

"I'm sorry…Can I have my fish now?"

"You didn't mean it!" Alex protested.

Sean hmphed. "Fine." He stood. "I'll get it myself then."

Alex sighed and handed the plate to him. "Hmph. You're no fun."

"So sorry." Sean glared at him, sitting down to eat. He'd only managed a couple mouthfuls before Alex headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna see if I can meet with Vermov today. I have to check in with Franz and Emil back home later then I'm going to try and talk to Bauer, I believe he's here in town for awhile."

Sean blinked. "Vermov's up here now?"

"He's watching Danny. God knows she needs it." He tugged his shoes on. "I'm not sure if father's told him why we're here yet. I should check, he'd want to know."

"If he doesn't already."

"He might."

"Oh!" Sean remembered suddenly, pushing his plate away. "There's an FBI agent in town, she was after Danny the day you came in. I don't know why she's here but I think it has to do with Dirk coming up here."

"Hmm…The FBI wouldn't be involved in this though. Too risky, too easy to get caught. What's her name?"

"Diana."

"Surname?"

"Didn't catch it. She knows Dee and Ryo though."

"So she's been here before. Interesting. Has she showed up again?"

"Not yet. But it hasn't even been 24 hours."

"True… I'll keep an eye out for her."

"She was up here alone so she's probably pretty good."

Alex shrugged. "We're better." He checked his gun quickly.

Sean stood. "I'm going too."

"Huh?" Alex blinked at him then shook his head. "Not a good idea, geliebt."

"Why not?"

"Have you learned how to use a gun yet?"

"Well…no…"

Alex made a face. "The one thing the Adams boy can do right and you don't even bother having him teach you."

Sean bit his lip and spoke under his breath. "I didn't want _him to teach me."_

"What was that?"

"I said that it doesn't matter whether he taught me or not. You aren't visiting anyone hostile, just Vermov. Vermov likes me. I can talk to Emil while you check with Franz."

"Hmm…" Alex searched the pockets of his coat, tucking away a pair of extra guns."That would be helpful." He looked over at Sean. "How well does Bauer's secretary know you?"

"Anyone who had connections down there knows I'm part of the family."

Alex shrugged. "Perhaps… All right, we'll go meet with Vermov then I'll call Franz and you try to set things up with Bauer. At least find out where he really is. If you have time you can call Emil."

"How long do you think this will take?"

"You're having dinner with Danny and Jaime, right?"

"Oh…right…" Sean shook his head. "That's not for hours though."

"If you say so. Better go change though. You're all rumpled."

Sean looked down at his clothes and made a face. "Ugh." He stood up and headed for the bedroom. "Do you anything that will fit."

"I stopped keeping clothes that fit you after you moved."

"Oh." Sean had been reaching into Alex's clothing bag, he'd pulled it from the pile in the corner instinctively, having done it dozens of times before. He hesitated. "Right…"

Alex entered the room. "We could just call the front desk and ask them to bring something up, if you want."

Sean shook his head, struggling to keep his voice cheerful. "I'll be fine. I'll call Bauer and Emil and try to arrange things then call you later, OK?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. All we really want is to help Danny out, right?"

A moment of silence. "Right. Daniela's the one we should be worried about."

"Should I make an appointment with Bauer if I can get through to him for you? Tonight maybe?"

"After dinner, perhaps." Alex's voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

"All right then. I'll see you later." The door closed. Sean didn't turn around. Gripping the bag in his hands he turned and, eyes shut, flung it across the room. Unfortunately, through the skills of his abominable luck, it hit the radio, or CD he wasn't sure, and turned it on. To, of course, the worst possible song. It was just that kind of day.

_I didn't hear you leave  
I wonder how am I still here_

_And I don't wanna move a thing  
It might change my memory_

He sank down onto the bed and curled up.

_Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but  
I can't hide_

Reaching up he grabbed a pillow and pulled it over his head, crying softly.

_And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me  
And I won't leave  
And I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me_

He ignored the feel of the bed moving as someone sat down beside him, he even ignored the soothing hand on his back. But he couldn't ignore the voice, calling his name. "Sean…"

He pulled the pillow down and looked up with tears still running down his cheeks. "Alex…"

_I don't wanna call my friends  
They might wake me from this dream  
And I can't leave this bed  
Risk forgetting all that's been_

Alex pulled him into his arms, knocking the pillow onto the floor. "Sean… you're such an idiot."

Sean clung to him, face buried in his shoulder.

"If you wanted to come so badly you should have just said so."

_Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but  
I can't hide_

"I shouldn't have left…" Sean whimpered. "I'm sorry."

"Danny needed you."

"But…"

"Sssh, it's OK. You had to leave. I've never really blamed you. Besides, Danny would never have made it up here without your help."

"I want to come home."

"You aren't happy."

Sean shook his head slowly. "I need you…"

Alex sighed. "Sean…"

_And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me  
And I won't leave  
And I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me_

"Don't leave me…"

"I won't…"

"I need you…" Sean sobbed. "I missed you."

"Well, I missed you too. You could've called though. You do remember my number, right?"

Sean nodded. "I didn't want to call you."

"Why?"

"I was mad."

"You were mad? You broke up with me!"

"You were being an ass."

"I was…" Alex made a face. "I haven't even seen you in over a year and we start fighting like this…"

__

_And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me  
And I won't leave  
And I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me_

"Why didn't you come up six months ago, when everyone was dying."

"I was in Germany. I didn't know."

"Dirk didn't tell you?"

"Vermov was out of state. He didn't find out until late so even father didn't know for a long time. Danny told no one."

"But…"

"I would have come. If I'd known."

"Because of Danny…"

"Sean…" Alex shook his head. "You never even called. If I'd come up without a reason you'd have refused to talk to me."

"…"

"But I'm here now. And so are you."

_Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but  
I can't hide  
And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me  
And I won't leave  
And I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here_

Sean nodded slowly. Alex patted his back. "I'll call Danny and ask her to bring you some clothes, OK? She'll understand. She figured we wouldn't be able to make it back to your place."

He nodded again. Alex lay down on the bed, pulling Sean down with him. They curled up on the bed, Sean in Alex's arms. Alex whispered in his ear, voice quiet and soothing. "You worry too much, Sean. Danny will be fine. We won't let anything bad happen to her."

"You don't even know what's going to happen…"

"Do we ever? We've managed to keep her safe so far. And now we have cops to help us, Dee and Ryo seem fairly dependable. Josh could probably take care of it by himself, if his brother's as good as he is."

"They are very good." Sean murmured.

"See. You'd know too. You could always tell the posers from the real thing. Father missed that skill of yours almost as much as he did you, you know."

Sean relaxed slightly.

"It was kind of hard after you left. Father and Hilde liked you and that's about all they've agreed upon in years. She missed babying you."

"You're her son."

"Only you and Danny can get away with babying me." Alex chuckled. "It's not quite the same."

"Did they really miss me?" Sean turned around in Alex's arms to face him.

"Yeah. They did."

_And I won't go  
I won't sleep  
I can't breathe  
Until you're resting here with me  
And I won't leave  
And I can't hide  
I cannot be  
Until you're resting here with me_

"…How long will you be up here?"

"Not sure. Until we know Danny's safe. I'll stay up here, at least. Father and Hilde may have to return to help watch over the business, but I don't have anything that can't be dealt with by others."

"So you're here indefinitely."

Alex nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

Sean closed his eyes. "I missed you."

"You've said that." Alex sounded almost smug. He kissed Sean's forehead. "Tell you what, if you still feel that way after everything's calmed down then come and talk to me."

"Eh?"

"You're rather emotional, love. You should remember to try and avoid any momentous decisions when you're upset. You need your head clear for things like this."

"Yeah…"

"I'm going to call Danny. We can all go have lunch. I'll invite Vermov. We'll go to a place with fish." He grinned and stood, pulling Sean to his feet and kissing him on the motuh this time, deep and slow. "So do whatever you need to get ready, OK? Anything special I should ask for?"

Sean shook his head.

"Good." Alex reached over and turned the radio off. "You wield a mean suitcase, you know?"

Sean smirked.

"That's my geliebt."

Sean kissed him quickly. "I probably look awful."

"Crying never did agree with you." Alex agreed.

Sean hit him on the shoulder. "You didn't have to agree so readily."

"Sorry." Alex walked out, already dialing.

Sean leaned against the wall and sighed, feeling drained. "Things are getting complicated again."

***

"Eh?" Danny stared at the phone in her hands. "You need me to bring Sean some clothes? Alex…Ahh, yes, his place does have a lot of stairs. But you're strong, you could've managed…I noticed that, you were barely walking straight… All right, I'll bring something…Lunch where?... I'll find somewhere. What does he want?... How'm I supposed to know?...You know how he is, if it isn't just right he'll be upset…You answered that pretty readily… Yes, I know what Josh would wear but that's different. He's not so picky… If you say so…I'll ask Tasha to come, he likes her."

Tasha blinked. "Me?" She'd been standing nearby talking to another girl. "I like who."

"Sean… Yes, I was talking to her…She wanted to know who I was talking about… no, I'm talking TO you and ABOUT him…Don't be perverse… I'm not supposed to know what that word means, 'lexie."

"Oooooh!" Tasha tried to snatch the phone. "Is that your brother?"

Danny nodded and stood, avoiding the grasps at the phone. "Where is Sean anyway?... He cried? What'd you do now?" she glared at the phone a minute then sighed. "Sean…" She sat, waving Tasha away. "He's been upset ever since Laura died. I don't think he's really been happy since then… I couldn't call you up! He would have been mad at me and you…Jaime's been trying to help but…He just isn't the kind of person Sean needs. They're both too emotional and Jaime's too clingy…I adore Jaime, but he isn't right for Sean… Well, you and Sean seemed pretty final and if you two can't be together I'd rather that they were." She held the phone away from her ear for a minute. "You keep forgetting I like Jaime… I'm not the only one! Sean does." She winced. "Look, just don't bother Jaime. Let him be. The last thing Sean needs is the two of you fighting… I know he starts it but… He really likes Sean, you should understand that… Just give him awhile. It's only been six months. They went through some really bad stuff… I got off lightly…They needed each other, Alex, not you coming up here and stealing Sean away. You don't want depressed Sean, do you? If anything's going to last between you two he has to able to get his confidence back. Jaime can help with that, if nothing else…I think they'd be great friends. Sean needs someone he can talk to when he's upset emotionally and neither of us are very good at that… I know you try but we just don't understand enough… Look, I'm coming over, OK? We can argue this later…I'll make dinner excuses for him…I'll invite Dee over, that always distracts Jaime…No, I think they're actually becoming friends now…They're both pretty wild, so it's fun, if nothing else… You know what, you should have dinner with Brett and Josh… Yes, I know you've been eating out with people ever since you got here but you've a lot to catch up on and who knows how long to do it… Just eat with them! In the room, if you want. Have pizza and beer. They'll love it… I'll give you the number, call them later...I'm leaving now…No, I'm really leaving…Shut up, if I'm ever going to get there I need to get going… Sean's going to be mad he's stuck in rumpled clothes because you won't be quiet… You really are loud, you know." She grinned wickedly and turned the phone off. Tasha was laughing. "Rumpled clothes?" She smirked. "Is it safe to ask?"

"We all got wasted last night and Alex decided to take Sean back home but Sean passed out and Alex didn't know for sure where his place was, all he knew was that there were a lot of stairs so…" She shrugged. "Back to the hotel they went."

Tasha pouted. "That's a boring story."

"Alex really likes Sean. He knows that if he does something sordid nothing good can come of it."

"Deep."

"Plus, they were really, really wasted. Sean was essentially unconscious."

Tasha giggled naughtily. "I bet Alex could've woken him up."

"Maybe." Danny yawned. "We'd better get going. I have to find those clothes and they want us to go to lunch with them."

"But we're still shooting."

"I'm done for the day. Too hung over to do much."

"Poor dear. You've got it easy, they always give you the breaks."

"Because I'm pretty and my family runs the criminal world in Miami and is a major power in LA."

"They don't run LA?"

"No one runs LA."

"True…"

"I'll grab the clothes. You get off. I said I'd bring you, Alex says Sean probably needs someone to talk to who isn't as deeply involved as I am that he likes. You're the only one who fits."

"Gee, thanks. Now I'm getting caught up in this."

"At least you won't be bored."

"That's true."

"Not hurry up, we'd better get over there before something sordid does happen."

"If you says so." Tasha walked off, shaking her head and laughing. Danny put her cellphone away and stretched. "Josh's right. This all does feel like one big soap opera…or maybe I'm just hung over." She shrugged. "Either way. Let's see…Where did Sean put those shirts from the other day?"

End

[][1]

   [1]: Fake.htm



	16. 

               JJ stood in line at his favorite deli, just a few blocks from work, eying his watch. "Mm, my break's going to end before this line does…"

               "Well, there you are! I was worried I wouldn't be able to find you before you went out on patrol."

               JJ turned and stared. "Max?"

               His friend stood near the door and waved. "Yo." He walked over to JJ, looking around. "Where's that pretty girl of yours?"

               "Danny? She's at work."

               "Should have known. How've you been?"

               JJ shrugged. "Eh, OK…"

               "Gotten yourself a boyfriend yet?"

               "Max!" He blushed.

               "What?" Max smiled innocently. "You haven't gotten yourself a girlfriend, have you?"

               "No, but…"

               Max sighed. "Hopeless. I'd have thought Danny would've set you up by now. She's got to know plenty of guys you'd like."

               "Max…"

               He thought for a minute. "What about that Dee guy?"

               JJ shook his head. "He's with Ryo-sempai."

               "Oh, harsh. How about what's his name? Danny's brother?"

               "Alex?" JJ blinked.

               "Yeah, him." Max shook his head. "I swear, you turned red every time he looked at you."

               "…He doesn't live here. I haven't really seen him in years. I got over him."

               "Really?" Max stared at him for awhile, then smiled. "He seemed pretty protective of his sister, I thought he, at least, would live up here."

               "His father has some friends here. They're watching her. She's left all that behind…we don't want to deal with that sort of thing anymore."

               "You can't just leave it behind."

               "She never did anything bad! It's just a family thing!"

               "Sure, sure, if you say so." Max held his hands up defensively.

               "…Actually," JJ admitted. "The entire family's here now."

               "Why?"

               "Something's going on. Someone's after Danny."

               "Really? What else do they know about it?"

               "Nothing yet. Dirk asked all his friends and Danny's getting Josh and Brett to look into it."

               "Josh and Brett?"

               "Oh yeah, you wouldn't know them. Josh is Danny's boyfriend, Brett's his brother."

               "Why would they be a help?"

               "They're hit men. Freelance, though they have connections to pretty much everyone powerful."

               "Have they found anything yet?"

               JJ laughed. "No, not yet, they only got here yesterday. Probably still sleeping off the hangover. We all went out to dinner last night."

               "Oh, should I speak quietly then?"

               "Huh?…Oh, I didn't drink. Danny was worried I'd…" He hesitated, smile fading. "She was worried I'd have a hangover at work today."

               "…I see…" Max smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe I should bring food to your place then, rather then dragging you all out again."

               JJ nodded. "That might be a good idea. Who should I tell her to invite?"

               "Everyone important?"

               "Are you sure, that's a lot of people."

               "Well, there's me, Sean, Danny, Dirk, Hilde, Alex, Ryo-sempai, Dee-sempai, Bikky and Carol. At least, until Dirk and the others go home."

               "…That is a lot of people."

               "You said everyone important."

               "Man, you two know a lot of people…wait, you're friends with Dee?"

               "Danny is."

               Ah, well…Hell, invite everyone over. We'll order pizza or something."

               "Pizza and beer, huh?"

               "Why not?"

               "Sounds good to me."

               "Whadda ya want?" A surly voice cut in.

               JJ jumped. "Pardon?"

               The man behind the counter laughed. "Adams, there you are. Didn't recognize the back of your head. Who's your interesting friend?"

               "Max. He used to be my partner, before I moved here."

               "Ohh…The usual? Anything for your friend?"

               "No thank you," Max declined. "I just ate."

               "Aww, that's a shame. The food here is great. I'll have the usual." He handed over some money and got a bag with his initials on it. He pulled a cell phone out as they exited the store, turning it on and speed-dialing. "Hey, Danny?"

               "I'm coming, keep your pants on. I mean that literally."

               "…Umm…"

               ''lexie?'

               "Jamie."

               'Oops, sorry.'

               "Anyway, you won't guess who's here…"

               'That FBI lady bothering you?'

               "Diana?…I forgot about her."

               'She'll probably show up again soon enough. If she's here after daddy.'

               "Anyway, can you invite everyone over to our place for dinner tonight?"

               'Why?'

               "Mystery guest."

               '..I can try. I'll call daddy and Dee after lunch.'

               "And Alex?"

               'I'm meeting him for lunch.'

               "Oh. OK then."

               'Well, I've got to go. Later!'

               "Bye."

               "That was fast." Max observed, stealing the apple from JJ's lunch.

               "She's going out to eat. I thought you weren't hungry?"

               "I'm not."

*             *             *

               Ryo woke up slowly, curled up in Dee's arms. Dee was, as usual, sprawled across him and most of the bed. He ran fingers up his arm, smiling as Dee cuddle up against him, nuzzling his neck. "Dee, are you purring?"

               Dee growled sleepily. "G'back to sleep."

               Ryo laughed, looking at the clock. "Dee, it's noon. Wake up."

               "No."

               "Dee…"

               "Mmm-mmm."

               "Don't be childish."

               "You're the adult one."

               Ryo sighed. Dee could be incredibly stubborn, especially about sleeping in. It would probably be easier to wait for him to decide to move then to push him out of bed. He frowned suddenly, looking at the door. "It's too quiet."

               "Some of us are trying to sleep."

               "You shouldn't sleep now, you'll be up all night."

               Dee just smirked at that.

               Ryo hit him and tried to push him off. "You can stay in bed if you want, I'm getting up."

               Dee looked hurt. "What's so interesting out there?"

               "Bikky's too quiet, I'm worried."

               "…Ryo, Bikky's at school."

               "He is?"

               "He better be."

               "But…"

               "Why d'you think I'm so sleepy? I already got him up and packed off to school. Carol too."

               "But…"

               "You were sleeping."

               "You weren't?"

               "Ryo, I've been getting up with you for the past six months. I've made the brats lunch every morning while you wake him up. You think I'm not used to getting up that early?"

               "…"

               "Besides, he woke me up."

               "Why? If he was already up?"

               "He wanted me to make him lunch."

               "That's all?"

               "I guess he likes my lunches."

               "Bikky…"

               Dee suddenly sat up and stared at the door. "What the-"

               They both jumped as the bedroom door slammed open and call stood watching them for a moment, sobbing. Then she launched herself towards Ryo, knocking Dee out of the way and almost off the bed. He recovered quickly and glared at her. "what do you think you're-"

               She flung a pillow at him, hitting him in the face. "Go away! I don't want to talk to YOU! Can't you just leave us alone for ten damn minutes!"

               "Carol!" Ryo looked shocked.

               Dee silently stood and left, shutting the door behind him. Ryo watched him leave, too surprised to do anything but worry about what had upset Carol so much.

*             *             *

               Danny made a face as her cell phone went off. "Not again!" She pulled it out and turned it on. "Yes?…Dee? Why are you calling me?…Eh? Well…" She looked over at Tasha. "I suppose…No, it's no problem, Alex just wanted to have lunch with me…No, no, don't worry, Tasha and Sean can distract him." She laughed. "He hasn't ever been here a whole day, he hasn't gotten that far yet…It took you how long to get together with Randy?… They have some things they have to work through yet, they did have a rather bad break up…probably, but we'll see…Tell you what, come have lunch with all of us. I have to work for awhile afterwards but I've got most of the afternoon off to go shopping with daddy…Of course you'll get along, Josh isn't exactly a model citizen either and you two do fine." She blinked as the cab stopped in front of the hotel. She paid the cabbie and, grabbing her bags, headed inside, still talking. "Come on down to the hotel, we'll order something in… I'm sure he won't mind...That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" She sighed, eyeing the wall as if she wanted to bang her head on it. "If you want to meet me, come down here. Or you could go talk to Josh, if you want. I don't think he's doing anything terribly important today. Maybe you could all go out and get drunk again…No, I don't have painkillers with me, Alex will though. Why didn't you take anything earlier?…You do remember they don't last all day, don't you?…Sure, sure. Well, come on down, if you can handle food we'll order you something…The Plaza…Of course, do you really think daddy would stay in the business if it didn't pay?…No need to be rude…Just as for Alex at the main desk, I'll tell them to send you up…All right, see you in a bit." She hung up and tucked the phone away.

               "What was all that about?"

               "Dee and Randy had a fight, I think. He's upset about something, at least, and trying to find something to do for the day. Without Randy."

               "He got kicked out?

               "Seems that way."

               "Doesn't that mean he probably won't be up for a gathering this evening?"

               Danny groaned. "I'll have to cal Jamie, I guess. I'm really beginning to hate cell phones."

               'You know you love arranging things."

               "One thing at a time, Tasha. One at a time."

*             *             *

               "How long do your lunches last?"

               "Until my next shoot." She looked at the clock. "I have an hour."

               Dee, Sean, Alex, Tasha and Danny were all sitting around Alex's room, eating the Chinese they'd ordered from room service. Or, rather, the guys were eating and the girls were nibbling.

               "Oh?"

               "Yep. It's a slow week, not much to do."

               Tasha shook her head. "Because you never let Sakamoto schedule too much for you. You're so lazy. You could get so much more work if you'd just be a bit more flexible."

               "Why? I don't need the cash or the fame. I don't like traveling for work and I can vacation when I want."

               "Rich brat." Tasha countered in mock-annoyance.

               Danny grinned. "But of course. I'm a pampered mob daughter, you know."

               "Hey, hey, police officer in the room. Watch your mouth…Are we out of beer?" Dee searched the table until Alex handed him a can.

               "Don't be silly. Daddy's rather harmless, for a mob boss. You've more important people to go after, you can't get everyone. Some crime is a sign of a healthy capitalist society. Besides, he's out of your jurisdiction and I've never been heavily involved and I've never killed anyone."

               "Never?"

               "Never. Jamie had to teach me to shoot."

               "I offered." Alex protested.  
               "You were always busy with something. Besides, Jamie's a better shot."

               "He's a sniper. He has to be a good shot. I don't need to be that precise."

               "You were always good at excuses, if nothing else."

               "I do have some skills."

               "If only a few."

               "Don't be mean…Anyway, why're you here Dee? Shouldn't you be at home sleeping off your hangover or something?"

               "And not starting another one." Danny looked pointedly at the empty beer cans scattered on the table.

               Dee glared. "You're mean when hung-over…I got kicked out."

               "Ryo's mad at you again?"

               "Carol's upset over something."

               "She kicked you out of your own apartment?"

               "Out of bed. I didn't feel like hanging around the living room like a puppy."

               "Hmm…the problems of having kids."

               "No kidding."

               "Well, you can come with me and daddy tonight then if you want. You can look at guns together or something. Daddy hates clothes shopping."

               "Mmm…"

               "Have you heard from Josh yet?" Sean asked, speaking up for the first time in awhile.

               "No, he probably hasn't been up too long. It'll take him awhile to find out anything."

               "Hm…maybe you should have JJ stay with you until this is all cleared up?"

               "I can talk to his boss, I suppose. That FBI girl would probably interfere though."

               "Diana might be able to help us out, actually." Dee offered. "She's worked up here before and she'd be willing to help us as long as you're willing to let the police in."

               Alex considered that for awhile. "I don't think I can agree to that. Father's friend, Vermov, has much of his business centered here. If she's the same agent who's been after us for the past few years she'll be trying to take us all out."

               "…Well, it was a good idea."

               Danny patted his shoulder. "Talk to daddy about it later, he might be able to come up with something."

               "Maybe…You should talk to JJ though. I'm sure he'd be willing to watch you."

               Danny frowned. "I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself."

               "Danny, you haven't had the training JJ has." Alex pointed out reasonably. "Actually, it might be better if you ask Josh. You won't get the police involved and he likely has the best training of all of us, for this sort of situation. His brother could handle the search."

               "Maybe…he and Jamie don't get along too well though."

               "Why not?"

               "Jamie's still upset that he's a hit man. He's complicated, as a policeman he should be arresting us, not doing out to dinner. That's why he wanted me to come up here?"

               Alex looked to Dee. "What about you?"

               "I didn't know."

               "You didn't know Alex was a hit man?"

               "No, no. He's the kind of guy we ignore, only gets involved in the gang wars. He's yet to whack someone clean."

               "But we're different."

               "Yeah, you're a whole mob, not just a couple freelance brothers."

               "She's really out of the business."

               "I know. She's not the problem."

               "You've got strange ethics, Dee." Danny observed. "You give Bikky advice and keep him out of trouble even with Randy when you can, you get along with Josh but daddy bothers you. He and Vermov are decent…for crime lords."

               "Hmmm…" Dee sank back in his chair, unconvinced.

               Alex made a face at the clock. "I better get going. I wasn't supposed to arrive until this afternoon but I do have some people to meet."

               "Aww, I'll see you tomorrow?" Danny pouted.

               "I might stop by later." He kissed her, then Sean, and waved to Tasha and Dee.

               "What, no kiss for me?" Dee sighed melodramatically. "I feel so unloved."

               "Sorry, but it's a first date. I don't make out on a first date."

               "Yes you do." Sean contradicted him.

               "You hush."

               Danny giggled. "Alex's easy!"

               "Danny!" Tasha looked shocked, barely containing her laughter. "You should be that excited about it."

               "Pervert." She flung a cushion at the other model. "Besides, it'd be the second date. You had dinner last night."

               "It only counts as half if it's part of a group."

               "Beaten by the group rule." Dee snapped his fingers in mock-annoyance.

               Alex shrugged. "Since you seem so set on it…" He reached over and half-pulled Dee from the chair, kissing him. Danny and Tasha laughed but Sean just glared. The kiss lasted pointedly longer then the others but when it was over Alex just let him go and waved, heading for the door. "Later then."

               "Bye!" Danny waved. She looked over at Dee, curious.

               "…He tasted like Vanilla. Rather usual for a guy.

               "I wouldn't know."

               "Oh, really?" Dee leered at her.

               "Don't be disgusting, he's my brother!"

               "Half-brother! You two are awful close…"

               "Dee, you really are a pervert!" She began flicking sunflower seeds at him.

               "Help! I'm being pelted by flower seeds! Help, help!" He hid behind the chair. Danny almost fell off hers laughed.

               Tasha looked over at Sean and her smile faded. He was laughing, he wasn't even faintly grinning. He was watching Dee, a deadly serious look in his eyes. "Sean…"

               He started, look over at her in surprise. "Yes?"

               "Oh, nothing. You just seemed sort of distant."

               "Really? It's nothing."

               "You sure."

               He nodded. "I'm fine. Really." He looked over at the door, frowning again.

               Somehow, Tasha didn't believe him.

               "Ack! Not the cashews! Anything but the tasty, salted peanuts!"

end


	17. FI2 Much Ado About Nothing

                "Dee Laytner, are you insane?"

                "What? I think it looks good."

                "Are you blind?"

                "What's wrong with it?"

                "What's – Just look at it!"

                "I think it's nice. I bet Josh would like it too."

                "Oh, I'm sure he would."

                "What do you think Mr. Breit?"

                "Very nice. Sexy."

                "Daddy!" Danny stomped her foot, looking shocked. "I can't believe you just said that."

                "What? It is."

                "Daddy!"

                Dee sighed and put the dress, a slinky black number that would probably fit in better in the lingerie section, away. "I think it's a nice dress."

                "Should I pick one up for Carol then?"

                "…Never mind."

                Dirk smiled faintly. He and Dee had followed Danny clothes shopping and were now sitting bored in Bloomingdale's. It was amazing how many clothes a woman could love than reject, for the smallest of reasons. They had been there hours and she'd rejected what seemed like thousands of outfits, finding only three she liked. Even those would randomly be reassessed and pondered over, as she tried to decide if she really still liked them or not. Dee, not used to shopping with women, hadn't developed the patience necessary for enduring the sheer boredom of the more passive male role. Dirk had shopped with his wives and Danny herself often enough that he was rather numb to the experience.

                "Dee, if you're that bored why don't you go find something for Randy?"

                "He'll hate it. He dresses differently."

                "Obviously. Take daddy with you, he has an acceptable sense of taste."

                "Thank you darling."

                "No problem. It'll keep you from bothering me, for at least ten minutes."

                "You invited us." Dee pointed out.

                "I invited daddy. You just kind of came along.

                "Ooh. Cold."

                "Run along Dee. We'll go to dinner after I'm done."

                "Tomorrow then?"

                "Smart ass."

                He just smirked.

                "And yes, it is a cute ass. Now, go buy Randy something nice. I'll get you food later. Maybe you can get him to let you back in the house."

                "It wasn't my fault!"

                "This time. You can save it for the next time he gets upset. I can keep it at my place for the week without any problems."

                "Very funny. Very."

                "Yes, yes, now hurry along." She pushed him away. He left slowly, seemingly reluctantly. Dirk joined him after kissing Danny's cheek. "…You got kicked out?"

                Dee coughed. "Carol, the girl from dinner, was upset over something."

                "And that got you in trouble?"

                Dee glowered. "She kicked me out. She thinks Ryo listens better or something, I guess."  
                "Hmm…Hold up a minute." Dirk put a hand on Dee's shoulder to stop him and quickly walked over to a nearby clothing rack. He pulled out a woman's white silk nightgown with red flowers on it. Dee blinked. "He's definitely going to hate that."

                Dirk laughed. "He would. This is for Hilde."

                "Oh. That makes sense."

                "Indeed. She'd be upset if I didn't bring her something. It's always better to go along with our partners. Or, at least, it's quieter."

                "The kids too."

                Dirk made a face. "Children are noisier then any wife."

                "Amen to that…Does Danny have any other siblings?"

                "No, just Alex. Thank god, I couldn't have handled another."

                Dee grinned. "I know the feeling. And they aren't even mine."

                "Be thankful for that."

                "Why?"

                "You don't worry as much. That's the hard part."

                "Really?…Why'd  you let Danny move up here anyway?"

                "She wanted to come and Alex needed to be away from Sean."

                "The breakup?"              

                "Partially…How are they doing? Daniella, Sean and that Adams boy, I mean."

                "They're doing fine. Danny and JJ have had a couple fights but they make up in time. I'm not sure about Sean, I don't know him well. I wasn't even sure he was gay."

                "You're joking?"

                "Naw. Makes things more complicated. Before you all came up we all thought he might've hooked up with JJ."

                Dirk dropped the shirt he'd been looking at. "What?"

                "Well, they've been getting closer the past six months and…"

                Dirk picked up the shirt again, thinking as he put it back. "My, how things changed. He hated him even more than…" He shook his head.

                "Huh?" Dee blinked at him, curious now.

                "Do you know why Alex and Sean broke up?"

                "I didn't even really know Danny had a family until yesterday."

                "Did you think she was some sort of plant?"

                "You know what I mean."

                "Mmm, if you say so. Americans."

                "Why did they break up?"

                "Jealousy, possessiveness, accusations of cheating. The usual."

                "Alex thought Sean was cheating on him?"

                "Other way around, actually."

                "Was he?"

                "Of course not. Daniella would never have stood for it, she rather likes the boy and, as with all sisters, enjoys tormenting her brother over any fault."

                "Well, what did happen the-" Dee cut off as Danny suddenly popped out from behind a rack of clothes and tossed her cell phone to him.

                "Reassure your boyfriend. He's convinced you've been beaten and murdered and are lying alone in a hospital feeling depressed and forgotten."

                "If I was murdered-"

                "Just talk to him. If anyone else called I'm hurt and murdered and will deal with it tomorrow."

                "…" Dee stared at her then did the only thing a sane man could do in the face of a woman's irrational request. He nodded. "OK."

                "Good. Come get me after you're done, I'm getting hungry." She stalked off again.

                Dirk sighed. "Saved by lack of eateries."

                "Huh?" Dee blinked at him, raising the phone to his ear.

                "She has my credit card."

                Dee's eyes widened. "That is dangerous."

                'Dee? Is that you? What's dangerous?'

                "Danny's dad gave her his credit card to shop with."

                'Oh. That's really…'

                'Dumb, yeah."

                Dirk frowned at him. Dee just grinned.

                'Are you all right? Why haven't you called?'

                "I'm fine. You were talking to Carol, remember?"

                '…Dee, do you know what time it is?'

                "Huh?" Dee looked at his watch. "Yeah, it's…Shit! How long has she been shopping?"

                Dirk laughed. "You obviously don't shop with women often."

                'Who's with you?'

                "Danny's dad."

                "Eh?"

                "Her father, remember? We met him yesterday."

                'Dee, you can't just hang out with him. He's a crime lord!'

                "And he wasn't at dinner last night?"

                'Yesterday was…that was….last night was just strange.'

                "Amen to that."

                'Why are you out with them anyway?'

                "I got kicked out by the brat, remember?"

                'She just wanted to talk to me alone. And she's not a brat.'

                "She kicked me out of bed. She's a brat.'

                'Dee…'

                "So she's fixed now?"

                There was a disapproving silence from the other end of the line a minute before Ryo responded. '…She's calmed down, yes.'

                "What was wrong?"

                'Some of her friends were spreading nasty rumors about her. And she only found out when Bikky believed it and called her on it.'

                "Well, shit…"

                'Yeah.'

                "So she's going to be around for awhile?"

                'Yes…'

                "Hmm…Danny wants to go out to eat, so I probably won't  be home for awhile."

                'What? Dee!'

                "What? I'm hungry too."

                'You can't just-'

                "Why not? It's not as if she wants my help, she's made that perfectly clear."

                'She could still use your help. When Bikky gets back-'

                "You three'll just sit around and argue and yell at me whenever I try to talk."

                'That isn't true!'

                "Yes, it is. I ain't a father figure, Ryo. Older brother, maybe, dad, no. If you want to play mommy that's fine by me but don't ask me to hang around in the background every time the kids have a fight or get their feelings hurt. I won't be any help and I don't feel like playing third wheel all the time."

                'Dee…you aren't…'

                "I'm going out to eat. I'll be home later. Call if something happens."

                'Dee! Wait!'

                "Bye." Dee turned the phone off.

                "Somebody's cranky."

                Dee turned to Danny, who'd returned carrying shopping bags. "Somebody's spoiled."

                "Touché."

                "Food?"

                "Sounds good. Where do we eat though?"

                "Some place with alcohol." Dee replied instantly.

                "Some place with cow products." Dirk echoed.

                "Cow products?" Dee blinked.

                "Beef, daddy."

                "Beef, steak, whatever. Cow products. None of that salad or dog of yours." Dirk shrugged.

                "Dog?"

                "Oriental food." Danny explained.

                "Dog. Dirk nodded. "Or sometimes cat."

                "Daddy!"

                "Definitely no oriental, vegetarian stuff. Cow products and beer all the way."

                "Dee!"

*              *                *

                JJ sat at his desk, glaring at the stack of papers in front of him. He was supposed to be done for the day already but Rose had demanded that he stay behind to finish a few reports. He'd fallen behind in the last week after Dee had somehow convinced him to help work though the immense pile of reports he'd built up. It was very inconvenient to have to make it up now though, he'd hoped to be able to go out with Max that evening. Max'd returned to his hotel for a nap while JJ finished, promising to return in a few hours.  Grabbing a report from the To Do pile, which was distressingly larger than the finished one, he began to work. 

                JJ had, over the years, gotten used to various shocks and strangeness in his life. Between his job and friends randomly strangeness was rather common. But the hand that slammed down on his desk in the middle of the report nearly sent him through the ceiling. "Aaagh!...Huh, wha-?"

                Alex stood across the desk from him, staring rather intently. JJ immediately turned bright red, stunned beyond speech. Alex looked really, really good when he got all intense.

Alex looked at him a minute longer before speaking himself, voice as intense as his eyes. "I need you-"

_                Hell yeah! Where do you want me? I know a few comfortable, flat, relatively private surfaces nearby. You can have as much of me as you want as long as you bring that pretty face and perfect as-_

                "-to tell me about what's going on up here."

_                What? That doesn't sound sexy. Could it be some weird euphemism maybe?_

                "I want to know about anyone who might want to hurt Danny. Can you help?" Alex finally finished, though he really hadn't taken nearly as long as JJ thought he had, and pulled his hand back, still watching the other man.

                _Oh, sister. Definitely not sexy. Tease! "Ummm…" JJ coughed as logic and rational thought returned, knocking hormones and libido out of the way for at least a little while. "Sure."_

                "Good." Alex turned away to find a chair, giving JJ's heart and breath rates time to return to normal. As he returned with Dee's stolen chair JJ jumped to his feet, nearly knocking all the papers to the floor. "I'm…uh…gonna go get a few files! I'll be right back."

                Alex blinked at him. "…OK then. I'll just wait here."

                JJ nodded rapidly and fled the room. When he reached the file room he collapsed against the cabinets.

Damn it! Why had he forgotten how incredibly sexy Alex could be? Why had he forgotten how weak-kneed around the other man? Why had he thought that a few years and some rather considerable distance would make him get over that crush he'd had? Although could he really still consider it a crush, considering how powerful it was despite Alex's near complete absence? He hadn't been nearly this overwhelmed before but he'd been distracted then, with his job and Danny and trying to get over Dee and how he ran away… OK, so he wasn't so good at getting over things, but at least he kinda tried. Sort of. OK, maybe not. But that wasn't important! Alex was… 

                Well, first off, he'd finally been confirmed in his hopes that Alex was gay. He'd pretty much known before, after all they'd spent quite a large amount of times in bars together talking about the various merits of other men, but Alex had always seemed to focus on the women. Or, at least, it had seemed that way to him. Of course, his complete lack of interest in women might've been an influence but… Nah. Anyway! Alex was gay. Alex had been going out with Sean. Sean was gay! That thought, for some reason, didn't excite him nearly as much as Alex's revelation. Of course, he'd pretty much thought Sean was gay from the beginning. After all, he was a models makeup person. Not exactly a manly career choice. Alex, on the other hand, helped run a company and all sorts of criminal enterprises. Definitely a manly sort of trade, though there were a few women who'd made names for themselves.  But… Alex was here. In New York. He'd never been up here before, he simply settled for calling Danny on the phone. Maybe he was relieved to have some distance between them? Who knew. But…he was here. And that fact had finally smacked JJ upside the head. Alex was here. Alex, the dark and sexy guy who'd managed to distract him from Dee, if only for a little while. Alex who he hadn't seen, or even talked to, since well before Dee had gotten together with Ryo. He was back and in full Over-protective Brother mode, ready to smite anyone who dared lay a hand on his beloved older sister. He was back, he was still incredibly good looking and he was in a righteous anger. And Dee was gone, out of reach and, for the most part, even gotten over.  In other words, Alex was here and sexy as ever, and JJ was finally getting over a rather painful relationship problem, not to mention what'd happened with Laura, and was trying to find someone new, preferably with returned feelings, for him. But…

                It was happening again. He could feel it. He'd been overwhelmed by Dee before he could really understand what was going on; his initial interest had rapidly become an obsession so intense he wasn't sure he could handle it. He'd honestly thought that he would die if he couldn't be around Dee, his presence had been soothing and overwhelming all at once. But then Dee had fled, leaving him behind to try and deal with the rejection and soul-crushing loneliness that had threatened to destroy him. So he'd moved too, to get away from all the painful reminders, and he'd run into Danny. An act of extremely great luck that he'd more than paid for, he thought. And he met Alex, her brother. He'd never been interested in Danny, not 'that way' at least, but… Alex was cute and nice and understanding and everything he'd wanted Dee to be. Alex didn't blame him for being obsessed, he just tried to help him get over it. Even after Danny had announced she was leaving, and taking everyone with her, as she'd put it, they'd still been able to talk about pretty much anything.  But…but… "Argh!"

                "Hey, JJ, what's wrong?"

                JJ jumped, surprised yet again. "Huh? Oh! Drake! I thought you went home?"

                "Forgot something." His partner frowned at him. "What's going on? There's some guy at your desk, with all your paperwork still undone, and you're back here yelling at the file cabinets?"

                "That's Alex, Danny's brother. And I was not yelling."

                "Eh? Her brother?" Drake turned to look at the door, then back to JJ. "Oh yeah! You were all talking about that yesterday afternoon, weren't you?"

                "Yeah."

                "So what's he doing here?"

                "He doesn't know who anyone is up here, really. He wants to know about anyone who may have something against Danny."

                "And he figured you'd know?"

                "I guess."

                "Do you?"

                "Of course!"

                "What about Josh?"

                "I think he's busy."

                "Hmm….So…What're you going to do?"

                "Help him, of course."

                "But what about all that paperwork?"

                JJ collapsed against the file cabinets. "I don't know! I can't just ignore them but I can't just ignore Alex and Danny either! Why did that ass Rose have to decide he needed these stupid reports today?" JJ spun away from the cabinets to glare in the general direction of Rose's office, suddenly full of indignant fury.

                "Uh…Well…" Drake seemed a bit taken aback. "If he hadn't you wouldn't have been here for Alex to interrupt."

                "…That's a good point." JJ's fury drained as quickly as it had arisen. "But it's still annoying."

                "Of course. Why don't you just write up a list of people who might be involved and send him off to Dee? He's been here longer, he knows everybody."

                "Yeah…but…but…" JJ's mind raced for a reason. "He doesn't know why they wouldn't like her."

                "Tell him to hunt down Josh and Brett then?"

                "They've only known her a few months! They don't know even half the people who might want to hurt her."

                "There's that many?"

                "Well…She is a crime lords daughter. And she can be kinda annoying, you know?"

                "…You just want to talk to him, don't you?"

                "…"

                "Shit, JJ, don't tell me-"

                "Don't tell me what I shouldn't do! I know it's a bad idea, he's Danny's brother, he's a fucking criminal, for god's sake, but he's still the best guy I know! He put up with all Danny's shit for years and he still likes her! How saint-like is that?"

                "But you-"

                "Don't throw that Dee shit in my face, not again. Yeah, I was stupid, but I was obsessed! Like you'd do better. I can have real relationships, you know. I can do more than just fling myself at someone. I'm not a kid and he isn't Dee!"

                Drake stared at him a minute then spoke quietly. "But you like Sean."

                JJ deflated, practically collapsing. "Sean…Christ, I don't even know anymore. Yeah, I liked Sean. He's great. But I don't love him. At least, I don't think I do…"

                "But you were getting along so well!"

                "We were! I mean, we are. I mean…Oh, I don't know. I never even really saw him much before we moved up here, he's always been Danny's work friend and he never really hung around with us in Florida. He was always busy going out with Laura or something. Even up here I didn't see him that often until…"

                "Ahh, rebound guy." Drake nodded knowingly, sitting on the floor with his back to the wall.

                JJ glared at him. "Thanks for being so sympathetic."

                "Well, it's pretty obvious. A nice guy who's friends with your friends who's nice and supporting and was upset at the same time you were, you meet, get attached and bam!, rebound relationship."

                JJ frowned. "I'm not that immature!"

                Drake managed to avoid commenting on that. "Can you really tell me I'm wrong?"

                JJ sighed and sat down opposite him, back against the cabinets. "…No, I guess not."

                "What about Alex? I've never heard you talk about him before."

                "When did I have time?" JJ threw his hands into the air, frustrated. "I moved up here and then I met Dee like right away. And after all that there was the stuff with Laura and now, well, there's all this stuff starting up. I haven't had time to think about him!"

                "JJ…"

                "And now Danny's in trouble again! And her family's here! And they're criminals! What'm I supposed to do, ignore it? It's bad enough I ignore Brett and Josh, how I can I ignore them too? I'm a cop, arresting people like them is my job. I'm not supposed to sit around and try to decide if I like them or not or how I can help them or anything like that. They're my enemy, not my friends! What kind of cop am I, just ignoring them like this?"

                "JJ…"

                "And what is going on now? NO one tells me anything. Someone's going to do something to Danny at sometime, what kind of information is that? It isn't! Vague threats and warnings, that's all they have. What are we supposed to do about it? Go back? Wait until something happens? GO somewhere new?"

                "JJ…"

                "And what's up with Sean and Alex? They were going out? Why didn't they tell me? And their breakup? When did that happen? And why? Why won't anyone tell me why they broke up?"

                "Jamie…"

                'And what's with Alex? Why's he so mad at me? I mean, we went out to dinner and he was all glaring at me and he wouldn't say why or anything, he just glared and tried to get close to Sean but I didn't want him to, but did I not want him to because I didn't want him to get close to Sean or because I didn't want Sean to get close to him, and why does it matter that much, cause I haven't seen Alex in a long time and I didn't know about Sean and I'm still not sure about what I think of him and I'm not even really sure of what I think of Alex, just that I like him a lot and-"

                "Jamie!"

                JJ froze, wide eyed, in mid-rant.

                Drake took a deep breath. "Breathe, Jamie…Just…breathe…"

                JJ took a few loud breaths, as commanded, still staring at Drake.

                "Calm down, Jamie. You're getting hysterical."

                "…"

                "If you really want to know go ask Alex. He'd know all that. And you've never exactly avoided confrontation before."

                JJ sniffled.

                "Eh?" Drake gaped. "You aren't gonna cry, are you? I mean, it isn't that bad, no one really knows what's going on in their life and…"

                "You called me Jamie." JJ's voice was quiet, barely audible.

                "Huh?"

                "No one calls me Jamie."

                "Danny does."

                "She's the only other one."

                "Other one?"

                "My mom used to."

                "Oh…well…I ain't your mom, JJ. Umm… damn, I mean…eh?"

                JJ suddenly launched himself at Drake, knocking them over. Luckily Drake was able to shift so they ended sprawled on the floor rather than knocked into unconsciousness by the wall. Drake stared at the ceiling for a minute as JJ clung to him, arms around his neck, head against his shoulder. He eventually recovered his senses enough to start squirming, trying to find a way to free himself. Fortunately, or unfortunately, as it may be, JJ was so lost in his own angst he didn't noticed. Drake momentarily considered putting forth the effort it'd require to get rid of him, but decided that would just make the situation worse. He really didn't want JJ to start crying.

                With a sigh he lay back against the floor, trying to get comfortable despite the cold, hard tile. When JJ got upset it could take forever for him to calm down. He blinked as he suddenly noticed, among other trivia, that the door was open. Only partway, as if someone had tried to come in and realized that people were here. Or as if he hadn't quite shut it all the way after entering. He thought he had though… He hadn't heard it opening, though he could've missed it rather easily once JJ got upset. He didn't hear anyone out there now. "Hey, JJ?"

                "What?"

                "Can I at least sit up? This floor's hard."

                JJ pulled back, sitting himself and Drake stood and stretched. "Sorry."

                Drake looked down at him and sighed. "Don't worry about it. You were upset." He never could stay mad at JJ long, especially when he used those kicked puppy eyes of his. He reached down to help JJ to his feet then ruffled his hair. "Go home and monopolize Danny. I'll tell Rose that Danny's ravishingly handsome brother swept in and dragged you off."

                JJ laughed. It was a quiet but not forced one. "It's half true. He is handsome and he did sweep in here. But you better not talk to Rose that way or he'll star hitting on you and try to sweep you off."

                "Me? Nah. I'm not pretty enough."

                JJ looked him over, a serious look on his face. "If you say so…"

                "Huh?" Drake blinked at him.

                JJ walked past him and pulled open the door. "I wonder…"

                "Are you sure you're gonna be OK?"

                JJ smiled over his shoulder at him. "I'll be fine. Really. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

                "Yeah." Drake watched him go, looking slightly confused. "Dammit, I just wanted my coat!"

*              *                *

                JJ walked down the hallway back to his desk, face unusually serious. He was almost back to the main room when someone walking around and looking lost spotted him.

                "JJ!" Brett called out to him. "You're working late?"

                "I was about to leave."

                "Oh. Well, have you seen that brat Bikky? He called me down to help him get out of some trouble but he ain't here."

                "Bikky's here? Again? Why didn't he call Ryo?"

                "Apparently Ryo's mad at him for getting caught so often. Danny's busy and Josh's out. Which leaves me. I think he said you were with a friend."

                "I was going to be. He must've asked Danny. What'd he do now?"

                Brett shrugged. "Something stupid, like usual. He didn't run off, did he? No one here has seen him."

                "Have you asked anyone in the Juvenile section?"

                "There are different sections?"

                JJ sighed. "Of course."

                "I didn't know that…Damn, police stations are confusing."

                JJ snickered. "That's just cause you're rarely in one."

                "Thank god for that."

                "Here, I'll take you down there."

                "I thought you were leaving?"

                "I can wait a minute."

                "Thanks man."

                "Let me just reassure Alex I'm still alive first."

                "Alex? Danny's brother?"

                "Yeah."

                "He's here?"

                Brett looked confused. "But there's no one there."

                JJ froze, door to the main room half open. "Huh?"

                "You have a desk with everyone else, right? You don't have an office yet."

                "No, I don't."

                "Well, there's no one in there right now. Wouldn't have gotten back here if there was."

                "Eh?"

                "How long were you back here? I've been looking for someone familiar for awhile."

                "So you just came in and wandered around?"

                "Yeah. Seemed kinda weird to me too. Aren't police supposed to be into security and all that?"

                "I guess everyone's busy…" JJ pulled open the door and looked inside. There were now a couple at their desks, working on reports or the like, but no Josh. The only thing at his desk that didn't belong there was a note lying on top of his unfinished reports.

                Walking over to the desk he picked it up and read quickly. 'If you had paperwork you should've said something, gay boy.'

                "Gay boy?"

                JJ jumped. "Brett! You scared me."

                "I noticed."

                "Why're you reading over my shoulder anyway?"

                "Bored."

                "You spy on people when bored?"

                "How else am I gonna get blackmail material on Josh?"

                "You blackmail your own brother?"

                "Doesn't everyone?"

                "Bit…that's so…so…"

                "Screwed up?"

                "Yeah."

                "Welcome to real life, gay boy."

                "Hey!"

                "Wanna go get a drink or seven?"

                "Huh?"  
                "Wanna go get plastered?"

                "Excuse em?"  
                Brett sighed and leaned forward, suddenly making JJ acutely aware that there hadn't been that much space between them to begin with. "Do you wanna  go get fucked-up drunk?"

                JJ just gaped at him.

                Brett made an impatient noise and grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go get drunk. You obviously need it."

                "That's really not a good idea." JJ just wasn't having any luck with male contact that day. All the wrong guys! "I tend to get…angry…when drunk."

                Brett stopped and looked back at him. "You've obviously never seen Josh throw a fit. I'm an older brother, try anything on me and I'll knock you out."

                "That'd work."

                "Usually does. Now, let's go. You need alcohol and sex, though not necessarily in that order, and I can arrange at least some of it for you."

                JJ blinked. "Sex?"

                "Umm…no…that you're on your own for. Figuratively speaking, of course."

                "Brett!" JJ blushed.

                "Unless you've started liking girls now? They don't really have cooties, you know."

                "I know that! I live with a girl!"

                "One you damn well better not be sleeping with."

                "Ew, no."

                Brett laughed. "I like you kid. Let's go make sure you feel like shit tomorrow morning."

                "Gee, thanks."

                "Hey, with luck you'll end up next to a hottie. Give it a chance, at least."

                "If you say so…"


	18. FI2 Breakfast

                Sean sighed as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything was getting complicated again. Alex was in town and, apparently, still interested in working things out; Danny was, as always, in trouble and JJ, as usual, was going to get in the way. He was a cute, spunky thing, but he had a talent for appearing at inconveniently annoying times. And Alex was-

                The phone rang.

                Glaring at it he rolled over, snagging his bedside cordless. "Yeah?"

                'Sean? You're in! Good.'

                "Alex?"

                'Look, I need your help.'

                "With what?"

                'It's kind of hard to explain. Can you just come over here?'

                "Here?"

                'The hotel.'

                "This is the worst pick-up conversation I've ever heard from you Alex. I'm not in the mood."

                'Sean! This's serious!'

                "I'm busy." Moping. "It can wait till tomorrow."

                'No. Wait! I tried calling Danny but she's out and neither she nor father are answering their phones and Adams-'

                Sean frowned. Adams. "What's wrong, isn't he paying you enough attention? Can't get anyone to rush over and take care of all your problems? I'm busy, Alex, and tired. Go try JJ again, it's not as if he's out with anyone." He turned the phone off and set it back on the stand, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling again. "…Shit!"

*              *                *

                Alex stared at the phone. "He hung up on me…Damn, that was cold."

                "Who were you talking to?"

                Alex jumped and turned to face Bikky, who was sitting at the end of his bed. "Shit! Don't scare me like that, brat!"

                Bikky sniffed. "Whatever. Who was it?"

                "Sean."

                "Oooh?" Bikky grinned at him. "Lover's spat?"

                "Shut up. It's nothing you'd understand anyway."

                "Yeah, right. Don't underestimate me just 'cause I'm a kid!"

                Alex shrugged, moving to his suitcase and looking through his clothes. "Well, it looks like I'm stuck with you for the night, so here." He threw a t-shirt at him. "You can take the couch in the other room."

                "Eh? The couch?"

                "You aren't sleeping with me." Alex announced, voice firm.

                "Hoo?"

                "I stopped being interested in jailbait when I no longer was one, and I'm not starting again with you. The couch or the floor."

                Bikky made a face at him. "I wasn't planning to fuck you." Alex started, nearly banging his head against the underside of the bed as he rummaged underneath it for his pajamas. "That's just nasty. But don't you think it's rude to stick a guest on the couch?"

                Alex emerged with his clothing and glared at him. "You're the one who attached to me, remember?"

                "What were you doing at the station anyway?"

                "I was-"

                _What's with Alex? Why's he so mad at me?_

                "You were?"

                "Never mind."

                "Eh? C'mon, you can tell me." Bikky grinned conspiratorially.

                Alex shook his head. "Don't press your luck, brat. You're just lucky I don't bring you back to your parents. If they don't flay you for getting arrested at that time of night, and those cops sure seemed to know you well, it's more than you deserve."

                "…They aren't my parents."

                "Huh?" Alex looked over at Bikky, who'd lowered his head so his hair hid his face and was gripping the blankets with one hand.

                "They aren't my parents."

                "Really? I wasn't paying much attention when Danny introduced you, sorry. I thought that Ryo guy was your-"

                "He isn't my father! He was just some idiot newbie who thought he could save the world. And Dee's just a stupid, old, stinky pervert who can't take no for an answer."  
                "Hmm…"

                Bikky's grip on the blanket tightened a bit. "They aren't my parents. My father's dead and they… They're just stupid."

                Alex watched him a minute, face blank. Finally he shrugged and moved to the door. "I'm hungry. Do you want anything?"

                Bikky looked up at him, blinking. "Huh?"

                "Food? Drink? Want any?"

                "I guess."

                "C'mon then. Let's see if any good pizza places are open for delivery now."

                "Can I get whatever I want to drink?"

                "Sure."

                "I want beer then!"

                "Bad plan."

                "Eh? Why?"

                "You're going to be in enough trouble with your stupid non-fathers tomorrow even if you aren't hung over."

                "I'm not going to get drunk!"

                "Oh, don't bother then. Drinking's no fun if you aren't planning to get drunk."

                "You're just backing out on me!"

                "Well, if you really want it, sure but…"

                "Hmph… Fine! I'll get soda then." Bikky stalked past him into the main room. "I pick the place though!"

                Alex smiled. "OK then."

*              *                *

                Dee yawned as he pushed open the door to his apartment and stepped inside. "Hey, I'm back."

                "Where have you been?" Ryo practically jumped off the couch. "It's almost ten o'clock!"

                "Sorry, sorry. After dinner we ended up drinking a bit and Danny's dad knows some of the funniest stories and-"

                "Have you seen Bikky?"

                "Eh? Bikky?"

                "Yes, Bikky! The other person living here, remember?"

                "Geez, calm down, I remember, I remember." Dee took off his coat, tossing it on the side table and leaned against the wall to take his shoes off. Ryo rushed over and snatched up the coat, hanging it in the closet. "He still isn't back?"

                "No." Ryo sighed. "He isn't. Carol went home hours ago, but I haven't seen him."

                "Hmm… Strange."

                "We have to go looking for him!"

                Dee froze, shoe in hand. "Eh? Look for him?"

                "God knows what's happened to him, he's never been out this late without calling before!"

                "Yes he has."

                Ryo ignored that. "What if he's gotten lost or been mugged or hurt or…"

                "Bikky?" Dee laughed. "No way. We're more likely to get lost, hurt and mugged out looking for him than he is staying the night out there. He's probably holed up with Josh or JJ, worried you'll yell at him."

                "Damn right I'm going to yell at him, staying out all night after upsetting Carol like that and scaring me half to death."

                "Of course, mommy."

                "Dee!"

                Dee shrugged and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Ryo's waist and pulling him close, speaking quietly as he nuzzled his ear. "He'll be fine. Face it; he's a better survivor than either of us. He knows how to avoid trouble, though he does always seem to be getting caught by the cops. But, if they find him…"

                "They'll call us…" Ryo finished. He wrapped his arms around Dee's neck, trying to pull him closer. "I know. But…"

                "I know, love, I know. You are his new dad after all. But searching all over town won't help. Yell at him tomorrow and act all disappointed, that's the best thing to do."

                Ryo smiled, though Dee couldn't see it. "If I'm the dad, why're you the one telling me what to do?"

                "Because I'm your boyfriend. That's what we do. Tell all you overly-emotional and besotted parents what's good for the brat."

                "Oh, really?" Ryo shifted slightly against him, one hand moving to tangle in his hair.

                "Well, among other things." Dee admitted.

                "Such as?"  
                "Brat-sitting." He yelped as Ryo tugged on his hair sharply. "Acting as punching bags."

                "Don't tempt me." Ryo murmured.

                "And, of course, fucking our significant others into the table."

                "Dee," Ryo frowned.  "How many times do I have to tell you-"

                "I know, I know. We eat off that table. But who wants to worry about hygiene when there are," He traced his thumb across Ryo's lower lip and leaned forward till their lips were mere inches apart. "More interesting things to be thinking about."

                "Thinking?"

                "Thinking, doing, fucking, same difference."

                Ryo closed even that distance until their lips were all but touching. "You know…" He mused. "I've always…"

                "Hmmm?" Dee sounded amused, lowering one hand to rub against Ryo's inner thigh, the other massaging his back.

                Ryo traced his tongue over Dee's lower lip, face reflexive. "I've always wondered what'd be like to be pushed against the wall and fucked senseless."

                Dee froze for a minute, barely even breathing. Then he laughed, a low rumble that sent shivers down Ryo's back. "Bikky ought to disappear for the night more often. Guess we'd better settle this raging curiosity of yours, before it gets too…distracting."

                "Mmm," Ryo nodded, distracted as Dee's hand crept all too slowly up his leg. "Coat pocket?"

                "Of course."

                He managed to pull away, somehow, and opened the closet door, practically yanking Dee's coat off its hanger as he dug into Dee's coat pockets for the lube and condom he knew, from past experience, were always there. As he turned though Dee, moving with a speed that surprised even him, snatched them from his hand, pulled him to the side and pushed him against the wall, not hard enough to really be painful, but with a certain definitive force. His breath caught as he realized that with the wall in front of him, Dee's' solid frame pressing against his back and his arm around his waist he wasn't going anywhere, without a serious struggle, at least. He shivered, hardening almost painfully as Dee trailed fingers down his side then reached forward to play with his zipped.

                "We've definitely got to get Bikky out more," Dee's voice was almost triumphant. "I knew you were just as big a pervert as I am, when you aren't playing mommy."

                "Dee?"

                "Yeah?"

                "Shut up."

                "As you wish."

*              *                *

                Bikky wrinkled his nose as he slowly began to awake, rolling to his side and, against all convention, failed to roll off the bed, though he came very close. As he blearily opened his eyes and tried to remember where he was, and even who he was, he became aware of a heavy weight lying across his stomach and a faint warmth, like someone's breath, against the back of his neck. He tried to look behind him without actually moving. When that failed, he sat up and looked down.

                He was lying against the very edge of the bed with, for some reason, an arm lying across his waist, where it'd fallen as he'd sat up. The arm was attached to a man, which was better than being attached to nothing, though not as good as it being attached to Carol, who was sprawled in the middle of the bed in what appeared to be flannel pajamas, facing Bikky. That explained the breath. It did not, however, explain exactly-

                Bikky's memory finally caught up with the rest of him. It'd never been a particularly fast runner, even when it wasn't morning. "SHIT!"

                He tried to slide backwards which, of course, cause the much-delayed falling-off of the bed. Landing on the floor with a soft thump and a loud curse he quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at Alex.

                Man in bed with me. Bad check. Both of us wearing pants. Good check. I have underwear on, good check. Ass and jaw feel perfectly fine, very good check. He doesn't go for kids, good check. I have no idea why I'm here, bad check.

                While he was performing this inventory Alex, who was a light sleeper since it was pretty much a pre-requisite for survival in his trade, woke up and, after determining there was minimal danger from the sleepy boy in front of him, slowly sat up and stretched. "Nnngh?"

                "What'm I doing in your bed?"

                "You were sleeping."

                Bikky sputtered. "But why there?"

                "You kept rolling off the couch."

                Bikky blinked at him. "I what?"

                "You passed out during the game, remember? I wanted to finish it so I stayed out there. You rolled off the couch three times in an hour."

                "…I did?"

                "Yeah. Never even woke up, obviously. I ended up carrying you in here since I figured I'd probably be killed by everyone if I brought you back with brain damage."

                "Well…that's…Then why were you sleeping here?"

                "You think I'm going to sleep on the couch? This's my room, at least for now."

                "You slept with me!"

                "What, you've never slept with a guy before?"

                "No!"

                Alex shook his head, standing. "You probably have. Just sleeping with a guy won't make you gay, you know."

                "Just because you sleep with guys all the time doesn't mean that I like to!"

                "Whatever."

                They were interrupted by a knock on the door and a woman's voice calling in to them. "Alex? Are you up yet, dear?"

                Alex blinked. "Mother? What are you doing here?"

                The door opened and Hilde stepped into the room. "We were supposed to go out for breakfast." She chided him softly, before noticing Bikky. "Oh? Isn't he the son of those detectives?"

                Alex nodded. Bikky sulked.

                "Why is he here?"

                Alex shrugged. "I found him at the police station yesterday and he just invited himself along with me. Said he didn't want to go home."

                "Strange…"

                "I'm still here you know!"

                "Ahh, sorry." Hilde smiled at him. "Well, since you are here, why don't you come with us? No need for you to starve because Alex has a bad memory."

                "Mother!"

                Bikky considered. "Well…" He thought about that and considered his alternatives. Go out with them or go back home. Hmm… "Sure! I'd be happy too!" He grinned. "I'm a growing boy, need my food ya know."

                "Oh good. Well, you boys get ready, your father and I will be waiting downstairs. Don't take too long; he's already hungry."

                "Yes mother." Alex replied dutifully, eyeing Bikky distrustfully.

                "Byebye!" Bikky called after her then smirked at Alex. "Don't you think you better hurry? She told you not to take long and you look awful."

                "You little-" Alex cut himself of,; closing his eyes and concentrating on remaining calm. "I really hate kids."

                He looked back up as he heard a door slam. Bikky had run into the bathroom, shutting and locking it behind him. "HEY! You brat!" He pounded on the door. "Let me in!"

                "No way!"

                "Bikky!"

                "No way!"

                "Brat!"

                "Pedophile!"

                "What?!"

*              *                *

                "Dee!"

                "Nnh."

                "Dee! Wake up!"

                "Nngh!"

                Ryo shook his lover's shoulder harder. "Wake up, I said. We have to work today."

                "Dun wanna."

                "Well, we have to."

                "Tell'm 'm sick…"

                "Dee!"

                Dee grabbed Ryo's pillow, the other man had already gotten up, and pulled it over his head. "N'way."

                Ryo glared at him, looking annoyed. "This isn't the time Dee. We're going to be late."

                No response.

                "Dee!…Dee!…DEE!"

                Dee snored.

                "Dammit…" Ryo stood, looking around the room. After a few seconds he grabbed the end of the blankets and yanked, pulling them off Dee. "Get up already!"

                Dee just curled into a ball, wrapping his arms around his pillow. "No."

                "I know you're up, you're talking to me. Now move!"

                "I can talk in my sleep. Go 'way."

                "Dee!"

                "Ryo!"

                "Get up!"

                "Don't wanna!"

                "Don't be so childish."

                Dee pulled the pillow off his head and stuck his tongue out at Ryo, before pulling it back down. "Meh."

                Ryo sighed. "I give up…"

                "Hee. I win!"

                "I'll just shower without you then."

                Dee twitched.

                Ryo turned away, looking back over his shoulder. "I can't be late, you know. Rose wants to have a meeting about something, right away. Something about the latest case we're working on, I think. I was going to bring you with, but since you're so tired…"

                Dee growled but didn't move.

                "Oh well." He sighed. "Guess I don't have any choice. I wonder if Diana's still in town, she might need some help on whatever she's up here for and if you're not going to be in…" He trailed off as he heard Dee shifting on the bed and standing up. He turned and smiled sweetly. "Oh, so you're better already?"

                Dee glared at him. "…I hate you…"

                 "I love you too."

                "…" Dee simply looked at him for a long minute, eyes still half-lidded, expression sleepy. Then he grinned and stepped forward, grabbing Ryo. "Yeah, I…" He kissed him. "Now, what was that you were saying about a shower?"

                Ryo shook his head, teasingly. "Well, if someone hadn't overslept we'd have time, but if we don't hurry we're gonna be late so…"

                "Better shower together then, right?" Dee smirked.

                "Pervert."

End ch 10


	19. I'm alive! Just kind of slow

I apologize for the lateness of this part. It is entirely because I'm lazy and procrastinate. And because months go by far too quickly. -_-

                Max growled as the phone rang, waking him from his nap. Cursing, he fumbled blindly for his cell phone, unwilling to lift his head from the pillows. After a couple of rings he managed to grab it off the side table and brought it to the general vicinity of his ear. "What?"

                'Don't you mean who?'

                Max gritted his teeth. One sentence and he already hated the person on the other end of the line. "Who is this and what do you want?"

                'Fair enough. My name is Brett and I'm calling for JJ who is…ah…' There was a pause as if the speaker was talking to someone else. 'Who is apparently progressing quite rapidly towards becoming totally wasted.'

                Arg. Thinking. Full sentences. Bad. "JJ?"

                'Yeah, JJ.'

                "You got a cold or something?"

                'Something like that. Anyway, he…er…I won't be able to meet you tonight. He's… arg… I'm… busy. Yeah.'

                "Oh. Well…I'll just go back to sleep then."

                'Right.'

                "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then I guess."

                'Right.'

                "OK, bye." Max dropped the phone to the bed then, after a minute, picked it up and turned it off before flinging it across the room. Hopefully it'd land on something soft. He hadn't heard anything breaking. Damn, sleep deprivation sucked.

*              *              *

                Brett put his cell phone back in his pocket. "Charming friends you have, gay boy."

                "Eh?" JJ blinked blearily at him.

                Brett sighed. "Never mind. You know, for a guy who doesn't like to drink, you're doing it pretty well."

                "Oh, I love drinking. That's not the problem."

                Brett waited a minute but JJ just trailed off. "Er, right…"

                "How come you aren't drunk yet?"

                "I figure one of us ought to be able to find our way home later."

                "Oh! Our way?"

                Brett nodded. "You aren't in any condition to go home by yourself."

                "Then walk me back! What kind of a man are you, if you can't walk a sweet, innocent thing like me home?"

                "A straight one. And since when are you innocent?"

                "Mmm…" JJ considered. "Now?"  
                Brett sighed. "It's obvious you survive on your looks alone."

                "What's that mean?"

                "Never mind."

                "So…why can't you walk me back?"

                "JJ, where do you live?"

                JJ pondered that for some time, looking around the room. He started to point then lowered his hand. "I live…umm…I live… Hey, I live with Danny! You know where she lives."

                "That I do."

                "So why can't you?" JJ tried to make a decisive-looking hand gesture and nearly fell off his stool. "Whoa!"

                "Think about it, JJ. You live with Danny. Now, why wouldn't I want to drank you home drunk off your ass?"

                "Umm…" JJ tried to reason through the problem. "My ass!"

                Brett nearly fell off the stool himself. "Excuse me?"  
                "You don't want to drag my ass home, so it must be my ass that's the problem. Or home. You don't want to go home?" JJ blinked hopefully. "My ass isn't really that bad, I-"

                "JJ!" Brett cut him off. "It isn't your ass."

                "Oh…then you do want to take me home with you?"

                Brett twitched. "The problem is Danny."

                "Huh? How? Oh, don't worry, Danny thinks it's cute."

                "What…No, don't answer that! The problem is, I doubt she'll approve of me bringing you back drunk."

                "Ohh, so that's the problem. Why didn't you just say so?"

                Brett almost fell onto the bar in exasperation. "Yes, JJ, that's the problem."

                "My ass is cute though."

                "I'm sure it is."

                "If you want…"

                "No! I'm not getting arrested for your public indecency."

                "What are you getting arrested for? Do I need to get my handcuffs?"

                Brett stared at him for a minute. "Fine. That's it. We're leaving."

                "What now? The handcuffs? You know, if you really wanted to play with them, all you had to do was ask. Or is this why you were talking about my a-"

                "Now, JJ. Before you scandalize the other customers anymore."

                "Aww…"

                "We aren't here to entertain the barkeep, JJ. I'm going to drag you back to my place where you'll sleep on the couch and if you hit on my brother I'll kick you out."

                "Can I hit on you?"

                Brett considered refusing and decided he was too tired to argue. "Fine."

                "Yay!"

                He shook his head as he paid the tab. Glowing at JJ, who was trying to put his coat on, he mumbled under his breath. "Better be a cute ass, for all this trouble."

                When the bill was paid, he went to rescue JJ from the waitress who seemed to have decided that 'help' was now synonymous with 'grope'.

*              *              *

                Brett managed, with the dexterity of one who has performed criminal labor all their life, to unlock and open his front door with one hand and hold JJ up with the other. He then struggled inside, pulling his barely aware burden with him, and shut the door. He threw his keys into a nearby basket and dragged JJ across the room with the intent of dropping him on the couch.

                JJ did make an effort, it should be noted. Tightening his arms around Brett's neck and snuffling closer probably wasn't much help, but it was an effort. Really.

                "Come on, JJ, let go of me. We can't do this if you won't-"

                Nearly at his goal Brett halted and made a face. "Great, now what?"

                Josh was already laying on the couch with a magazine in his hands and a very surprised look on his face.

                "Well, hell. I guess we'll just have to use my bed then." Brett half-lifted JJ so he was an easier burden.

                Josh squeaked. That was the only way to describe the noise he made. Brett froze, staring. He'd never heard Josh make that particular noise before. He quickly realized why he'd uttered it, Josh had apparently decided that his brother was going to have wild, crazy, gay boy sex with JJ. Brett's older brother instincts kicked in and a very evil idea formed in his head. A truly, awfully, evil idea, that only older siblings can so quickly conceive of to torture their younger siblings with. He smirked and moved his hand to JJ's ass. "Hey, Josh."

                Josh made a vaguely affirmative noise.

                "Is that porn?"

                "No!"

                "Oh. Why are you out here then?"

                "I…ugh….I…Ahh!" Josh flung the magazine aside and fled to his room.

                Brett laughed. "Damn, I love having a younger brother."

                He nearly jumped through the ceiling when JJ licked his cheek though.

                "What the hell?"

                "Mmmph." JJ bit his neck lightly then licked the wound, making Brett shiver despite himself. "Told you I had a cute ass."

                Brett tried to think though the alcoholic haze and rising hormones that were fogging his brain as JJ set about demonstrating his foreplay skills. OK, first point…um…well…er… Oh, that felt good. No! Wait, that could count. All right, second point, the – hell yeah – person Brett was now making out with was a guy. And he did not like other guys. Not in the kissing-sexy sort of way, at least, though he did like them in the drinking buddies fashion. His body was doing its best to counter that argument with another tempting 'Ah, who cares, he's hot and skilled and you can top him. By the way, did you notice what he just did with his tongue?' line of reasoning. Fourthly…wait, wasn't he only on three? Was that last bit another point, putting him up to four already/ Ahh, fuck it. Good idea actually. No! Wait! Trying to think! Must make brain work!

                _Ah, fuck thinking_. A part of his mind told him. _Then push gay boy onto that oh-so-handy couch and fuck him._

                Wait…couch…the one he'd just kicked Josh off of… "Fuck!"

                Well, he tried to swear, at least. But with JJ's tongue in his mouth it was really more of a 'Frshgk!'  noise. With a great effort of will, made possible only by the complete turn-off thoughts of his brother were, Brett shoved JJ away. Incidentally, he shoved him onto his back on the couch. His dying libido cheered, but that was unimportant now.

                Holy shit. He'd almost fucked his brother's girlfriend's roommate. And that was quite a mouthful, though he hadn't even said it. His brother's girlfriend's roommate who just happened to be a guy, a gender that Brett really wasn't attracted to usually. And a cop. And his brother was in the other room. Their place wasn't nearly soundproofed enough for the rather rough and tumble sex JJ had been offering. Skill level not withstanding, this was a horrible, awful, very bad idea. Not a good bad idea, like his ideas to torture his brother with, but a very bad idea. "Shit."

                JJ struggled to sit up. "What's wrong with you?

                Mental note – Arousal makes JJ sober up. "This is a bad idea."

                "What?"

                "I ain't into guys."

                JJ glared at him. "Didn't seem that way three minutes ago."

                Brett glared right back. "Congratulations, JJ. You managed to make a guy horny. One for the record books, I'm sure."

                "Don't you-"

                Brett covered JJ's mouth with his hand. "Quiet. We're both male, drunk, and alive. No rational talk about sex will happen here. Sleep. If you're still horny tomorrow…Well, you'll be hung over. That won't be a problem."

                "What the hell is wrong with you? You're-"

                "JJ." Brett snapped in his authoritarian older brother tone. "Go to sleep."

                "But…"

                "Go to sleep, JJ. We'll deal with this when you're sober."

                JJ was going to continue protesting but Brett simply walked off. He went into his room and shut the door behind him with a decisive slam. JJ stared after him. "He left! He actually left! He just walked away!" He flopped back onto the couch, moving to a comfortable position. "Bastard."

                It was a long few minutes before he spoke again. "He could've at least left me a pillow and a blanket."

*              *              *

                About half an hour after Brett's return home, Josh's door slowly opened and he peered into the main room. Seeing no one and nothing offensive there, he stepped out of his bedroom and quietly walked over to his brother's bedroom door and, with the expression of a person doing something they really didn't want to but couldn't help doing, he leaned against the door and listened.

                Nothing

                Visibly relieved he then moved over to the couch and took a closer look. JJ was asleep, curled into a ball and snoring. Josh frowned down at him then at Brett's door. "He was just going to drop him off on the couch. He was just messing with me! That bastard!"

                He straightened and turned, about to storm into his brother's room to give him the yelling he so thoroughly deserved, but a blanket flew out of seemingly nowhere and hit him in the face. He spluttered, pulling the offending cloth from his head. "Hey!"

                Brett stood his room, door open. "You're such an idiot. Cover the drunk, would you?" And he turned away, shutting the door behind him.

                Josh glared after him. Damn it, he really hated having an older brother sometimes.

*              *              *

                "I'm going to get back at you for that."

                "Sure, sure."

                "I will!"

                "That's what you always say."

                "I really will!"

                "How old are you again?"

                "Arg!"

                JJ blinked as Josh stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. He shifted his gaze to Brett, who was cooking. "Happen often?"

                "Only when I really get to him. Danny's been a bad influence."

                "Mm…."

                "Pancake or omelet?"

                "Ngh!"

                "I'll take that as neither. Don't handle hangovers well, do you?"

                "Bite me."

                "Not when you're that shade of green."

                "Later then?" JJ tried to leer suggestively.

                "Still can't move, eh?" Brett smirked, pulling eggs and milk from the fridge.

                "Shut up."

                "You are an awful drunk, JJ." Brett frowned at him, waving an egg in a threatening manner.

                "Mmmf." JJ agreed.

                Brett poked him with a spatula. "Get off my counter. I need that space."

                JJ, who'd been slumped over the aforementioned counter with his head on his arms, glowered at him. "no move."

                "Move, cave boy."

                "No. Ow!" JJ whimpered, clutching his head and sinking to his knees. Yelling was a bad idea.

                He looking up as he heard clinking. "Are you cooking around me?"

                "You won't move." Brett replied pragmatically.

                JJ made an annoyed noise.

                "Don't you dare collapse on my kitchen floor."

                JJ growled. "I wasn't going to!"

                "Sure you weren't."

                "I wasn't!"

                "Stand up then."

                "Huh?"

                "Stand up. You're getting in the way."

                "I'm what?"

                "In the way."

                "You're mean.

                "I get that a lot. Now move. My kitchen isn't big enough for you and my cooking."

                "Well, I'm not hungry."

                "Do you want me to go get Josh?"

                "Fine, I'll move!" JJ attempted to stand but had to be helped to his feet. He staggered out of the kitchen and collapsed on the couch. Again. "Stupid couch."

                "Don't diss the furniture!"

                JJ stuck his tongue out in Brett's general direction, though he couldn't see him. "Whatever…"

                He lay there for an indeterminate amount of time, until he heard a door opening. He looked over the couch back in time to see Josh rush out of his room into the kitchen. "Brett!"

                JJ blinked and pushed himself to a sitting position to better watch what they were doing. They seemed to be talking or, rather, Josh was talking as Brett cooked. Josh finished whatever intense looking yet quiet speech he'd been making and began eating the omelet his brother handed him. Apparently Brett's reply was what Josh wanted to hear because the younger brother quickly finished his food and dropped his plate in the sink. He then said something else to Brett before running out the door.

                JJ blinked then called to the other man. "Ne, Brett?"

                "What?" Brett began cooking some food for himself.

                "What was that about?"

                Brett didn't respond. JJ laboriously crawled off the couch and into the kitchen. "Hey, Brett…"

                "Yes?"

                "Where'd Josh go?"

                "Out."

                "Where?"

                "To meet someone."

                "Oh?"

                "Oh."

                "How long'll he be gone?"

                "A few hours, maybe."

                "Maybe?"

                "Yeah."

                "Maybe less, maybe more?"

                "Maybe."

                JJ pouted at him. "You're no help."

                "Sorry."

                He growled and grabbed Brett's pants, using them and his shirt to pull himself up. He wrapped his arms around Brett's neck for support, watching him as he cooked. "Hey…"

                "What?"

                "You cook often?"

                "Only thing that wakes that brat up."

                "Hmm…"

                Brett was silent.

                "You're pretty good at this."

                "Practice."

                JJ grinned. "Hey, Brett?"

                "No."

                "I didn't even ask yet!"

                "You were going to."

                "You don't know what I was going to ask!"

                "You were going to ask me to fuck you senseless."

                "Actually, that's pretty close."

                "Skills."

                "Yeah…" JJ nuzzled his neck. "So?"

                "I already said no."

                "Aww, c'mon…"

                "No."

                "Please?"

                "No."

                "Why not?"

                "Josh."

                "Huh? Josh?"

                "Yeah. My brother, remember."

                "What about him?"

                "It'd upset him to find out I was fucking you."

                "So we won't tell. He isn't here."

                Brett removed the pan from the stove and slid the finished omelet onto a plate. "As much as I love the idea of uncomplicated sex, it wouldn't be that easy."

                "Why not?"

                "JJ, have you ever had an uncomplicated relationship?"

                JJ thought that over as Brett began to eat. He was still draped over his back. "Well…That's different!"

                "Have you ever had uncomplicated sex then?"

                "Not really."

                "Well then…"

                "Why would it be such a big deal?"

                "Gay men disturb him."

                "Why?"

                "He thinks it's unnatural. And he doesn't like the idea of being part of someone else's fantasies."

                "What about girls?"

                "Girls don't tend to be as perverted as men. They go more for romance than pure, hot sex. Or, at least, they seem to."

                "What about Danny then?"

                "She's the hot sex kind of girl?"

                "Totally."

                "She's reality. You should know, you live with her."

                JJ blushed slightly. "Sound proofing."

                "Spoiled brat."

                "So…?"

                Brett sighed. "JJ, don't you have to work today?"

                JJ blinked. "Well, damn."

*              *              *

                Max sighed as he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. How nice to wake up naturally. It'd been too long since he'd slept through the night. Nightmares and phone calls…

                Throwing the covers off he stood and stretched, looking for his phone. He'd thought he had left it on the side table but it wasn't there now. It took him a minute to remember the call the night before and his phone tossing. Looking around, he found it on the floor, half hidden under the hotel table. He was staying at some motel tucked away in New York's endless sprawl of buildings and nearly un-findable if you didn't know where to look. Or, rather, the right people to ask.

                Picking up the phone he checked his missed calls. Two from friends, one from a 'friend' and a fourth from his current employer. He shrugged and sat in the lone chair. Most of the calls could wait, but he'd better return the last. The phone was picked up on the second ring.

                'Hello?' It was a nice voice, Max mused, smooth and deep with just a hint of an accent. It sounded vaguely European, probably eastern.

                "Hey, you called?"

                'Yes. Were you out with your friend?'

                "Sleeping."

                'Oh? You have changed your plans?'

                "A bit."

                'Anything I should be aware of?

                "Not really. Might delay things, but you're not rushing now, are you?"

                'Not if it causes mistakes. But do not take too long. Someone may take an interest in you.'

                Definitely not a native English speaker. "Yeah, I know. They are cops, after all. So, what did you want to talk about?"

                'Just checking that you are there and ready.'

                "Ready?"

                'To move. That there are no unanticipated problems.'

                "Ahh, nothing major. I'll get moving today, don't worry. I'll find a place later and make arrangements. Everything will be done within two weeks, like I promised."

                'Perhaps. I had another reason to call. There is a small problems. The Raven brothers. Apparently they're hitmen, with extensive criminal contacts.'

                Raven? What a stupid name. Simple names for simple boys. "Great."

                'Pardon?'

                "I think I can use that…"

To be continued…


End file.
